صراط عشق صراط عشق
An alleged senseless, physical and verbal attack against two Muslim men on Wednesday has left the Muslim Community in Guelph in shock. “I’ve never seen anything like this in Guelph before,” said Sara Sayyed, representative of the Muslim Society of Guelph. “I’ve been here a long time and I’ve never seen anything reported in this manner.”
The alleged incident on Wednesday involved a 45-year-old man pushing and accosting two adult Muslim men while they were chatting on a front porch near the intersection of College Avenue West and Scottsdale Drive. When the men fled, police report the man followed one of the victims to his vehicle and continued to accost him for being Muslim.
Guelph Police Service located the man nine minutes after the incident and he was subsequently arrested. He was charged with two counts of assault. Sayyed said the MSOG was very disappointed such a hate crime could occur in Guelph. She said the incident was particularly disheartening because of their role in the community.
“We thought we were doing a great job in terms of outreach and getting to know people in the city and letting them know what our community is about,” said Sayyed. ‘It shakes you,’ said Sayyed about the incident. “They were simply two guys standing outside the porch talking.” She said no one should have to think about their safety because of the way they dress or look or what people might perceive them as. “That shouldn’t have to be a thought,” said Sayyed.
She said more details about the incident will likely be revealed when community members gather for the Friday sermon in which the MSOG will particularly address the importance of safety, the need to be vigilant and the need to care for one other in the community. The MSOG also released an official statement on their Facebook and Twitter page stating that they are grateful that Guelph Police responded quickly and effectively.
“We hope both individuals and their families are recovering well and are safe after this traumatizing event. We would encourage Guelph Police Services to take strong action against what is clearly a hate crime and press appropriate charges against the individual who has committed this act,” read the statement.
