C. attorney general condemns Islamophobia after Surrey mosque vandalized

British Columbia's attorney general has condemned Islamophobia after a Surrey mosque was allegedly vandalized with threatening graffiti and pieces of raw bacon.

Niki Sharma said her heart went out to the Fleetwood Islamic Academy Society and the Muslim community following what she called a “hate incident and threats of violence.”

The society said members of the Fleetwood Islamic Centre discovered the vandalism when they arrived for morning prayers over the weekend. Messages including “get out or die” and “Islam is trash” had been written on the mosque's walls, and pieces of raw bacon were also allegedly hung from a door handle and left near windows.

Surrey police said the RCMP are investigating after receiving a report of a hate crime believed to have occurred between 11:00 PM on Friday and 5:00 AM on Saturday. The Islamic society said it is co-operating with police as the investigation continues.

The society also said the incident was reminiscent of pig matter being left outside a Quebec City mosque before the deadly 2017 mass shooting, in which six worshippers were killed and several others injured when a gunman opened fire at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City in January 2017.