Toronto police have arrested a man who is accused of storming through a Scarborough mosque and uttering hate-motivated threats.
Officers were called to the Atiya Institute Of Knowledge near Kennedy Road and Lawrence Avenue East at approximately 2:20 p.m. on October 10.
According to police, the man allegedly entered the mosque and began harassing the worshippers by uttering hate-motivated threats and slurs, before he was forced out.
A short time later, police located 41-year-old Robbin Lakatos of Toronto and placed him under arrest. He is facing two charges, including harassment and uttering threats of death or bodily harm.
Lakatos is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on October 15.
On Tuesday, the National Council of Canadian Muslims issued a statement saying they were aware of the incident and in contact with the victims.
“The congregants are shaken, but no one is hurt,” the council said. “Our mosques are supposed to be places of peace and safety, particularly for children and the elderly. Yet such incidents have become almost commonplace.”
“It is time for our leaders to produce a real plan to address this ever growing pattern of Islamophobia,” they added. “We will have more to say as the situation evolves.”
Toronto police say the investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence.