Trudeau Condemns Mosque Attack, Declares Islamophobia ‘Has No Place’ in Canada

By Kanishka Singh

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently condemned an attack on a mosque in Mississauga, Ontario, which is under investigation as a hate crime. Rights advocates have described the incident as indicative of a growing trend in Islamophobia.

The incident occurred on Sunday when an individual threw two rocks through the mosque’s window, coinciding with the anniversary of a 2017 attack at a mosque in Quebec City that resulted in the deaths of six individuals. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Islamophobia, Trudeau emphasized, is unacceptable in any community. He stated, "The attack against a Mississauga mosque earlier this week – on the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia – is cowardly, disturbing, and unacceptable. I condemn it in the strongest terms possible."

The National Council of Canadian Muslims labeled the attack as part of an alarming increase in Islamophobic hate across Canada.

In November, authorities in Toronto reported a significant rise in antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes since the onset of the Gaza conflict.

Rights advocates have pointed out that antisemitism and Islamophobia have been on the rise globally since October 7, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, resulting in a substantial number of casualties. In response, Israel has conducted military operations in the Gaza Strip, leading to a high number of fatalities and widespread displacement among the population.