The chairman of the mosque, Murshid Abdallah, said in a statement released on Monday evening: “Given the continuing threats from social media, we are very worried about the safety of our imam family and the entire community.”

On Tuesday afternoon, a 40-year-old man was arrested.

Police said the 62-year-old mother and 26-year-old daughter were walking in a parking lot in the Ancaster Meadowlands area at about 9:30 pm Eastern Time on Monday when they were almost knocked down by a vehicle that pulled out of the parking space. .

The police said the driver issued death threats to the mother and daughter when using racist slander against the Muslim community. They added that when the mother and daughter were hiding from the man in a nearby bush, he threatened to kill them if they were found. After onlookers heard a woman’s call for help and intervened, he finally drove away.

Police have confirmed that the 40-year-old man is Vince Licata from Cambridge, Ontario. He will appear in court on Thursday and is still in custody.

Licata faces the following charges:

• Attack with weapons.
• Dangerous operation of motor vehicles.
• Issue death threats.
• Violation of the probation period.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was “deeply disturbed” by reports of racial slander and death threats by a man against a Muslim woman and her daughter.

The National Council of Muslims in Canada (NCCM) stated that the women were wearing headscarves and shared a statement from their family, saying they were “shaken but intact.”

The family is also in a statement issued through NCCM with the incident with the most recent one. Attack on London, Ontario, four members of the same family were killed.

Talat Afzaal, her son Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha Salman and the couple’s 15-year-old daughter Yumna, Killed at the crossroads When a 20-year-old driver (the police said he was out of hatred) knocked them down.

Hamilton “has a hatred issue:” MP

Nrinder Nann, the only woman of color in the Ward 3 Coun. City Council, called the incident “unacceptable.”

“Hamilton, we have a hatred issue. There is no denying it,” she wrote on Twitter.

Yasmeen Mirza, assistant secretary of Mount Hamilton Mosque, said the community is grateful for onlookers to come forward during the incident.

She said in an email on Wednesday: “This gives the community encouragement and assurance that we have allies in our community who are willing to unite for the values ??of tolerance, diversity and fairness.”

The mayor of Hamilton, Fred Eisenberger, tweeted that he “is most firmly opposed to the blatant hatred and Islamophobia of our city”.

He added that “hate has no place in Hamilton”.

Police Chief Frank Bergen issued a statement saying that he provides support and assurance to the community that the police will do all they can to ensure the safety of the community.

“We continue to be angry at these blatant acts of hatred,” he said. “Let it go, we know that hate crimes have a profound impact on the community. Right now, the Muslim community in Hamilton feels unsafe in the city.”

Bergen thanked the courageous interveners, saying that they demonstrated “community [Hamilton] want to be. “

Any witnesses request to contact the police

The city has solved a Reputation of hatred.

Statistics Canada data shows that it had the highest per capita hate crime rate in 2019, 2018, 2016 and 2014.

Local police only log in An incident of hatred Targeting Muslim people in 2020, but the police also admit that not all hate crimes or incidents will be reported. Local BIOC activists and community leaders said they wanted more details on hate crime statistics.

The police said they would not release more information because the charges are currently being heard in court.

They asked the witnesses to contact the hate crime department of the Hamilton Police. Fabiano Mendes represents Det at 905-546-5678 or Division 3 Criminal Investigation Department. Sergeant major. Michael Hall, phone 905-546-3851.