Muslim household speaks out after ‘disturbing and unsettling’ threats to explode their house

Canada’s largest Muslim advocacy group and politicians are talking out after a 54-year-old man was charged with allegedly threatening to explode a mosque and a Muslim household’s home in Newmarket.

York Regional Police mentioned in a information launch Thursday that officers had been notified of a hate-motivated incident wherein threats had been made towards the Muslim neighborhood of Newmarket.

In a information convention Monday, the media and communications lead on the National Council of Canadian Muslims mentioned the suspect was allegedly planning to explode the native mosque and the house of a Muslim household.

“The suspect is an HVAC expert. He allegedly said that he would use his expertise in that area to tamper with gas lines, to blow up his Muslim neighbour’s home, to kill everyone inside and including, allegedly, the children, ” mentioned Steven Zhou.

Police mentioned the alleged threats had been made on Sep. 1, and officers had been notified in regards to the incident two days later. On Thursday, a 54-year-old man from the Town of Newmarket was arrested and charged with two counts of uttering threats, police mentioned.

Zhou mentioned the suspect was a detailed neighbour with the focused household and knew them for 14 years.

“The suspect had long befriended this Muslim family, but confided in another neighbour that he had allegedly planned to murder the Muslim family and to blow up the mosque,” he mentioned, including that the neighbour reported the suspect’s plan to police. 

The suspect additionally allegedly consumed massive quantities of Islamophobic and anti-Muslim content material on-line, Zhou mentioned. 

Targeted household, mosque launch assertion

In a press release learn by the chief mobilization officer at NCCM, the daddy of the focused household, who needs to stay nameless, mentioned they proceed to dwell in concern given the present scenario.

“The thought that someone living so close to us, within our own community, was consuming and sharing far right, anti-Muslim content and beliefs while planning violent attacks is deeply disturbing and unsettling,” learn Omar Khamissa on the information convention. 

The household hopes authorities will do what’s vital to guard them and the neighborhood, the assertion mentioned. 

“It is my hope that our experience alerts the people of Newmarket to the severity of this incident and highlights the urgent need to address Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred in our community,” mentioned Khamissa, studying the assertion on behalf of the household.

Khamissa additionally learn remarks from the mosque that the suspect allegedly deliberate to assault. 

The mosque, which does not wish to share its identify attributable to security issues, mentioned that realizing in regards to the suspect’s plan has been “truly sobering and difficult.”

“The mosque is a place for peaceful reflection and communal worship. Had this person been allowed to carry on his plan, it would have turned into a massive tragedy,” learn Khamissa.

Community deserves assist to reply to hate crimes: NCCM

Khamissa mentioned the neighborhood deserves to see change and actual options to assist reply to hate crimes and hate motivated incidents. 

He mentioned he needs to reiterate the suggestions from an Islamophobia study by the Standing Committee for Justice and Human Rights revealed in December. The research lists a collection of suggestions together with reforming the safety and infrastructure program for mosques and locations of worship.

“We have the right to be angry in the face of these threats and attempts to intimidate Muslims in our community. Do we have to wait for more bloodshed before action is actually taken?” Khamissa mentioned. 

York police Insp. Stu Garner mentioned the investigation is being handled as a hate crime, however mentioned he couldn’t share any specifics.

“I’m not going to jeopardize the integrity of the investigation, but what has been conveyed in terms of wanting to blow up the mosque as well as kill a Muslim in his neighbourhood is what we are investigating,” mentioned Garner on the information convention. 

Newmarket Mayor John Taylor mentioned on the information convention that he spoke with the focused household in regards to the incident.

“To hear just how deeply it impacted this family is disturbing,” he mentioned.