Trudeau ‘deeply disturbed’ by mosque fire in Peterborough
By Kendra Mangione, CTV News
November 16, 2015
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he was « deeply disturbed » by a suspicious fire that destroyed part of the only mosque in Peterborough, Ont., over the weekend.
Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime. Officers said the fire was deliberately set at approximately 11 p.m. on Saturday in the city, located about 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto.
In a statement released on Monday, Trudeau said that the federal government would work hard to bring those responsible to justice.
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The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Police said they didn’t have a suspect, nor did they have a motive for the fire. Police said they couldn’t confirm whether the fire was connected to Friday’s attacks in Paris.
However, the director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims said the fire should be treated as a hate crime.
« We call on authorities to investigate this arson as a hate crime so a clear message is sent that these acts have no place in our communities, » Executive Director Ihsaan Gardee said Sunday.