Canadian authorities arrested Sharan Karunakaran following a hate-motivated incident at a mosque in Markham, Ontario.
According to the police, the suspect attempted to strike a worshipper with his vehicle while shouting threats and religious slurs. The incident occurred on Thursday, and Karunakaran was later apprehended in Toronto.
Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng strongly condemned the incident, referring to it as a hate crime and stressing that such actions have no place in Canadian society. The Islamic Society of Markham (ISM) reported that the individual had entered the mosque and seemed to tear up a copy of the Holy Quran before verbally abusing worshippers. The police statement released on Sunday did not mention this detail.
As the individual left the mosque, he allegedly tried to hit worshippers with his vehicle. The ISM expressed deep concern about the incident, particularly as it occurred close to the anniversary of the London Terror Attack in which a family was targeted in a hate-driven act.
The incident happened during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan when mosques typically see an influx of worshippers. Thousands of people attend the Markham mosque.
Karunakaran has been charged with uttering threats, assault with a weapon, and dangerous driving. His next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Newmarket.
Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng, a local member of parliament, stated that violence and Islamophobia have no place in Canadian communities. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), the nation’s largest Muslim advocacy organization, expressed its distress over the incident on Twitter, noting the suspect’s actions of yelling slurs, tearing up a Holy Quran, and attempting to run down worshippers with his vehicle.
