Three men were injured after fighting with a 24-year-old man who entered a mosque southwest of Montreal armed with a knife.
Police say the three men were in their 50s and suffered only minor injuries. One was transported to the hospital.
Marc-Olivier Chatelois, a spokesperson for the municipal police of Châteauguay, Que., said they received a call at 1:40 p.m. Friday because a man had entered the local Muslim cultural centre carrying a knife.
Mr. Chatelois said a physical altercation took place, but that police were unable to confirm at this time whether the injuries were tied to the suspect’s weapon. He said the 24-year-old was arrested and an investigation is continuing.
In a post on X, the National Council of Canadian Muslims said they are “aware and greatly concerned” about the incident. The council said they are “in touch with the local centre” but have no information on the suspect’s motive.
The cultural centre, home to the Arrahmane mosque, did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was disturbed to learn about the attack. “While we wait for more information, my thoughts are with these individuals and entire congregation who must be very shaken right now,” he wrote on X.
Hate crimes reported by police more than doubled from 2019 to 2023, according to the latest figures from Statistics Canada, with most of them motivated by race or ethnicity, followed by religion. Tensions have been high in Muslim communities since last fall after the Hamas attack on Israel that left more than 1,000 dead prompted the continuing war in Gaza. The war has spurred numerous protests in cities and on university campuses, including in Quebec.
The province is also the site of the deadliest ever attack on a mosque in Canada when, in 2017, a gunman killed six men at the Quebec City Islamic cultural centre. The attacker was motivated by hatred towards Muslim immigrants.
With a report from The Canadian Press