By Canadian Press

Man charged after downtown Montreal mosque break-in caught on video

Apr 10, 2023 | 12:34 PM

Montreal police say a 32-year-old man is facing a mischief charge after allegedly smashing his way into a downtown mosque early Sunday morning.

Const. Véronique Dubuc says investigators don’t believe the incident was a hate crime, adding that the suspect will appear in court at a later date.

A national Muslim group posted surveillance videos to social media showing someone using a rock to break into the mosque and to smash into the prayer room.

The video by the Canadian Muslim Forum also shows an altercation involving the perpetrator and a handful of worshippers at the Al-Omah Al-Islamiah mosque.

Forum president Samer Mazjoub says no one was hurt — even though a teenager narrowly escaped being struck by the suspect — adding that several worshippers managed to get the intruder to leave.

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Mazjoub says his group published the video to raise awareness about the attack and urge people to be cautious during the holy month of Ramadan, which ends later in April. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2023.

The Canadian Press