Mosque in Peterborough deliberately set on fire, police say
Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
November 15, 2015
Just a half hour before their mosque was set ablaze on Saturday, members of the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association were in the building celebrating the birth of a baby, said the president of the association, Kenzu Abdella.
Shortly after the party left, a neighbour noticed smoke and called 911.
The fire was set deliberately around 11 p.m., police confirmed Sunday. Abdella said the group left at 10:30 p.m.
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“We call on authorities to investigate this arson as a hate crime so a clear message is sent that these acts have no place in our communities,” Ihsaan Gardee, executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said in a statement late Sunday.
“This attack is very disturbing. The mosque is regularly attended by families with young children. We are relieved no one was injured as this incident could have been much worse,” Gardee said.
The Peterborough fire department has pegged damages to the mosque at $80,000, though the building’s exterior is relatively unscathed…