by Imtiaz Popat
Sarah Lindsey Santiago, 17, has been charged as an adult with three counts of murder and one count of conspiracy over her alleged role in the May 18 shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Prosecutors allege she communicated with the gunmen, helped spread the attack’s livestream and white supremacist manifesto, and sent one attacker a white supremacist patch. She was not physically present. Her attorney maintains she is innocent.
Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad were killed while helping protect children at the mosque.
If proven, the allegations raise a serious question: Should those who allegedly enable an attack face the same accountability as those who carry it out?
There has been a recent rise of attacks on Islamic Centres and Muslims in North America.
Police are investigating a recent attack at the Guilford Islamic Centre in Surrey British Columbia that was vandalized with hateful and threatening graffiti over the weekend, prompting condemnation from political leaders and renewed concerns about rising Islamophobia in Canada.
Members of the Fleetwood Islamic Centre arrived for early morning prayers on Saturday and discovered messages including “Get Out or Die” and “Islam is Trash” spray-painted on the building’s walls. Raw bacon was also left on a door handle and near windows.
“It was very concerning and scary,” said Asif Ali, general secretary of the Fleetwood Islamic Academy Society.
Ali said the incident has left members of the congregation worried about their safety.
“It does put us in concern. Now it has happened to us directly on our doorstep. It is very, very concerning,” he said, adding that there are fears the situation could escalate.
Long-time congregant Kasim Amarni said the graffiti has shaken worshippers, particularly seniors.
“They were so upset,” Amarni said. “The senior people started being afraid to come here alone.”
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns about threats and Islamophobic incidents targeting Muslim communities across Canada.
Steven Zhou, a spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said the vandalism highlights the need for broader action.
“It’s a time for a national reckoning and a strategy to deal with this problem,” Zhou said
In a statement, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma condemned the vandalism.
“My heart goes out to the Fleetwood Islamic Academy Society and the Muslim community who woke up to this hate incident and threats of violence,” Sharma said. “Islamophobia has absolutely no place in our communities.”
B.C. Premier David Eby and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke also denounced the incident.
“There is no room in our city for Islamophobia or any kind of hate messaging, ever,” Locke said.
Police have released images of a suspect and a vehicle believed to be linked to the vandalism. Investigators say a man was captured on surveillance video in the area before the incident and may have been driving a small white four-door sedan.
Authorities are working to determine whether the vandalism meets the threshold of a hate-motivated offence.
Ali said the mosque’s leadership remains committed to fostering a peaceful community.
“We all want to live together peacefully and in harmony,” he said.
The society says it is taking steps to increase security at the mosque.
Police continue to investigate and no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Canadian Member of Parliament representing Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East Salma Zahid’s car was destroyed in a fire at her home early last week, in an incident Toronto police are investigating as suspected arson.
Three vehicles were damaged in the fire, which Toronto Fire Services extinguished. No injuries have been reported and police have not identified a suspect.
Zahid says she and her family are safe but shaken by the incident, which she described as “very traumatizing.”
The MP has closed her constituency office temporarily over safety concerns and says she has provided police with camera footage to assist with the investigation.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, New Democratic Leader Marit Stiles and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and mayoral candidate Brad Bradford have all condemned the incident and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Zahid confirmed the incident in a statement shared on social media saying “an individual” set her car and another vehicle on fire. The MP said she and her family are safe, but both vehicles were left destroyed.
“I don’t want to speculate on a possible motive. We will await the results of the investigation. But such attacks are unacceptable and will not deter me from my work serving Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East,” she said.
Toronto police told Now Toronto officers responded to a fire call in the Bellamy Road North and Lawrence Avenue East, which it confirmed to be the MPs residence, at around 1:21 a.m. on Thursday. Toronto Fire Services extinguished the fire, but three vehicles were damaged as a result.
Police say the incident is being treated as a suspected arson, but no injuries have been reported and no suspect information is available for now.
Masjid Al-Iman Mosque Imam was also attacked recently in Victoria British Columbia sitting in his car.
Imam Ebrahim Ali Gaduo was sitting in his car outside his home when he noticed someone inspecting the vehicle, said Imtiaz Asin from the British Columbia Muslim Association.
Upon noticing Imam Ebrahim inside the vehicle and wearing his traditional white thobe, the individual attempted to force open the car door and subsequently assaulted him.
In the course of the incident, Imam Ebrahim was forced to defend himself, resulting in a physical altercation during which both individuals exchanged blows. During the confrontation, the suspect reportedly directed Islamophobic remarks at him, telling him to “go back to your home country.”
Following the assault, the suspect fled the area. Imam Ebrahim immediately contacted 911 and, while maintaining communication with emergency dispatchers, followed the individual in his vehicle.
Police officers responded promptly, taking Imam Ebrahim’s statement before launching an active search. A second police patrol soon joined the investigation, and authorities were ultimately able to locate and arrest the suspect.
The suspect remains in custody. It is believed the individual has a criminal history. BCMA is grateful for the swift actions of the Victoria Police Department in apprehending the suspect and helping to ensure the safety of the community. The Association also recognizes the courage of Imam Ebrahim and the swift action of the Victoria branch.
Incidents involving violence, intimidation, and hateful language have no place in our communities. We stand in solidarity with Imam Ebrahim and reaffirm our commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful society for all.
A fire that destroyed a Surrey area mosque in British Columbia lover 25 years ago which opened in 1979, was also treated as a suspected by area Muslims as a possible hate crime.
According to Canadian media reports and interviews with mosque officials, the fire was notice by a worshipper who was praying in mosque’s basement. When he discovered the lobby was in flames, he ran from the building and called 911.
When firefighters arrived, the two-story building was fully engulfed in flames. The lobby was destroyed and the rest of the building suffered heavy damage. No injuries were reported.
Police told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that they are following up witness reports of a van speeding away from the scene just before an explosion was heard. Investigators have not ruled out arson.
The Canadian chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations called on law enforcement officials to investigate the suspicious fire as a hate crime. CAIR-Canada director Sheema Khan believes recent tensions in the Middle East and negative portrayals of Muslims in the American and Canadian media point to a possible motive in the attack.
“The racist tone of pro-Israel commentaries in the current Middle East crisis only serves to fan the flames of existing prejudice and stereotyping. This anti-Muslim rhetoric can easily turn into the reality of physical attacks,” said Dr. Sheema Khan, director of CAIR’s Canadian Office (CAIR-CAN).
By way of example, she cited a Calgary Sun commentary claiming the “mandate of Islam” is “death to the Jews.” Representatives of that same newspaper recently apologized after an associate editor told Muslim critics “Allah be damned! Mohammed too!”
In another incident, panelist Victor Mordecai said “…the Muslim people are good people, but Islam is a Satanic system,” during a program on radio station CJBK in London, Ontario. In an issue of MacLean’s magazine in Canada, columnist Barbara Amiel wrote: “Arab culture…appears to put the glory of the tribe and Allah before the individual’s happiness or suffering.”
In a released media report by the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) cited Canada’s National Post as the newspaper that publishes the most Islamophobic rhetoric.
CAIR reports that remarks by a range of public figures, from congressional candidates to syndicated columnists, have portrayed Islam as “murderous” and Palestinians as “lower than pond scum” or “rag heads,” “pieces of sh-t” and “turds.” And several weeks ago, CAIR released a statement citing fears that “the escalation of Islamophobic rhetoric could trigger a backlash against American Muslims.” CAIR cited as an example the anti-Muslim hysteria following the 1995 terrorist attack on the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
Attacks on mosques and Islamic centers have occurred across North America. Vandals targeted the Islamic Center of Southern California. A gunman attacked a Memphis, Tenn., Islamic center as worshipers gathered for morning prayers. A would-be terrorist was arrested after fleeing from the area of a mosque near Denver, Colo. The suspect’s car was found to contain loaded weapons and bomb-making materials.
As early as 1994, a nearly completed mosque in Yuba City, Calif., burned to the ground in what was ruled an arson attack. In 1995, arson destroyed a Springfield, Ill., Islamic center. And in 1996, a suspect was charged for involvement in an arson attack on a Greenville, S.C., mosque. Acts of mosque vandalism have occurred in Michigan, Indiana, New Jersey, Colorado, Illinois, and Georgia. Last year, an arson attack severely damaged a Minneapolis mosque. A Caretaker as Sikh Temple in Surrey BC was also murdered by white supremacists about 25 years ago.
The upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11 can also see further rise in Islamophobia. The Islamophobic rhetoric was used to by the US to justify attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq post 9/11.
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