A man-wielding an axe attempted to attack worshippers at a Canada mosque before being confronted and restrained by people present there during Saturday morning prayers.
The 24-year-old man's axe was knocked down by a worshipper and he was held down until the police arrived.
Authorities arrested the man at the scene in the suburb of Mississauga and believe that it was a "hate-motivated incident".
Six Offences
Peel Regional Police maintained that someone walked into the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre, near McAdam Road and Matheson Boulevard East, early Saturday and discharged bear spray toward people while brandishing a hatchet. Some members of the mosque tackled and subdued the suspect, according to CBS News.
The man, who has been identified as Mohammad Moiz Omar, was charged with assault with a weapon, administering a noxious substance with intent to endanger life or cause bodily harm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, uttering a threat to cause death or bodily harm, carrying a concealed weapon and mischief to religious property, according to officials.
Congregants Bravely Stopped Attacker
Ibrahim Hindy, the mosque's imam, speaking about the incident in a tweet said that a man came in carrying an axe, pepper spray, and other "sharp-edged weapons" as people were gathered for Fajr, dawn prayer.
He continued that several congregants bravely were able to stop him in his tracks and the community will never be broken and "we refuse to be intimidated."
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the attack, "The attack on congregants at the Dar Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre is incredibly disturbing."
"I strongly condemn this violence – which has no place in Canada – and I'm keeping the community in my thoughts today. I also want to applaud the courage of those who were there this morning," he added.
The Muslim community in Canada has faced some attacks in the past also as in 2017 a shooting at a Quebec City mosque killed six people.
In a similar incident, four members of a Muslim family were killed in an accident that police described as a deliberate Islamophobic attack.
