Police in London, Ont., are looking for a suspect after the front porch of a house was set on fire in what investigators are treating as a hate-motivated attack on a Muslim family.
Police and fire crews responded late Saturday night after reports of a fire at a two-storey house on the northwestern edge of the city. No one was home at the time of the fire and there were no injuries, said Kirk Loveland, platoon chief with the London Fire Department.
“Fortunately, the fire had been knocked down by a neighbour with a garden hose,” Mr. Loveland said.
Police said the house has been targeted multiple times in recent months, including property damage and the theft of signs that expressed support for Palestinians.
The incident occurred just two days after a vigil marking the third anniversary of the hate-motivated terrorist attack that killed four members of a Muslim family in London and orphaned the family’s youngest son in June, 2021. The attacker was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year as a judge labelled it a terrorist attack.
The owner of the home, who has been living in Canada for more than 30 years, said in an interview that the alleged arson has left him and his family in distress. At the time of the incident, he said no one was home except his cat. The Globe and Mail agreed not to identify the man because he fears for his family’s safety.
“It is indeed an Islamophobic hate crime, but it is also an anti-Palestine hate crime,” the man said. “It is sad to see our home in native Canada, our country, reach that dangerous level of taking away our freedom of speech.”
Police estimated the damages to the house to be about $30,000, although the man said that’s not his focus right now. “I lost a very valuable thing, which is peace. It’s not a matter of how many dollars.”
The London police said in a news release that an hour before the incident, a man walked up to the house and took items from the front yard. Then, an hour later, the same man returned and started the fire on the front porch before fleeing again.
Detective-Inspector Alex Krygsman of the London Police Service said in addition to the acts of violence, a threatening note was previously left at the home.
“I know this is a trying time for the Muslim community,” Det.-Insp. Krygsman said, adding that investigators have been conducting outreach to members of the community since the incident. “We’ll continue to do that, not just for the Muslim community, but for all communities in the city. There is no room for hate in our community, unequivocally.”
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country must continue to fight Islamophobia.
“My heart goes out to the Muslim family in London whose home was attacked last night in an act of hate. Canadians have seen how dangerous and ugly Islamophobia is. We have to keep confronting it – wherever and whenever we see it,” Mr. Trudeau said.
My heart goes out to the Muslim family in London whose home was attacked last night in an act of hate.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 10, 2024
Canadians have seen how dangerous and ugly Islamophobia is. We have to keep confronting it—wherever and whenever we see it.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims also took to X to share their concerns following the incident, saying the attack was “deeply disturbing, disappointing, and ugly.”
“It is almost impossible to find the words to describe the anguish and disappointment our community feels regarding these attacks in London,” the organization wrote.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh posted his support for the family on X. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community. The rise in Islamophobia we’re seeing is extremely troubling – we must confront it at every instance.”