British Columbia’s attorney general, Niki Sharma, has strongly denounced Islamophobia following a disturbing incident at the Fleetwood Islamic Centre in Surrey. Members of the congregation discovered threatening graffiti and raw bacon placed around the facility, prompting outrage and concern within the Muslim community.
Expressing solidarity with the Fleetwood Islamic Academy Society, Sharma extended her sympathies to those affected by what she described as a “hate incident and threats of violence.” The society detailed the distressing discovery of messages such as “get out or die” and “Islam is trash” scrawled on the mosque’s walls by worshippers arriving for morning prayers over the weekend. Additionally, pieces of raw bacon were found deliberately placed on a door handle and near windows, further exacerbating the community’s distress.
Surrey police have confirmed that the RCMP is actively investigating the incident, which was reported as a hate crime occurring between 11 p.m. PT on Friday and 5 a.m. PT on Saturday. The Fleetwood Islamic Academy Society drew parallels to a past event in Quebec City, where pig-related items were left outside a mosque before a tragic mass shooting in 2017.
The community is cooperating with law enforcement in hopes of identifying the perpetrators behind this despicable act of vandalism and intimidation.