Canada P.M. decries mosque strike as “attack on Muslims”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned a shooting at a mosque in Quebec City, which left six people dead and eight others wounded late on Sunday. The strike, which Trudeau described as a “terrorist attack on Muslims,” comes within hours after the Canadian P.M. said he would welcome refugees following America’s decision to suspend its refugee program.

Earlier, a witness reported that about two or three gunmen opened fire in the mosque when some 50 worshippers had gathered for evening prayer, writes the BBC. The authorities later said that only two attackers were involved, who have been arrested and being interrogated.

A Canadian federal Liberal legislator, Greg Fergus, posted a tweet, calling the attack a consequence of “hateful speeches” and “years of sermonizing Muslims,” notes Reuters. Quebec, which has recently seen a surge in Muslim population, struggles to “reconcile its secular identity.”

The same mosque was subjected to Islamophobic targeting in June when miscreants left a pig’s head on the mosque’s doorstep, reports Reuters. Mohamed Yacoub, co-chairman of an Islamic community center in a Montreal suburb, said he hoped the shooting is an “isolated incident” that won’t be repeated in peaceful Quebec City.