Canadian minister to tour Port Coquitlam mosque
Canada's minister of citizenship and immigration is expected to visit a Port Coquitlam mosque today, Saturday, to show support for the religious organization.
Saad Bahr, the president of the Islamic Society of BC, which operates the Masjid Al-Hidayah and Islamic Cultural Centre, said the office of Jason Kenney arranged the tour after a vandalism incident last month.
"It shows us we are not alone," said Bahr, who noted that dozens of people called and emailed the Islamic centre after vandals placed strips of bacon on the exterior walls and around the entrance to the mosque. The outpouring, he said, shows that the vandalism is not the Canadian way.
Police are treating the act of vandalism, the second in the last two years, as a hate crime. However, no suspects have been found and police are still investigating, Bahr said.
He said Kenney will be given a tour of the building and information about mosque programs.
dstrandberg@tricitynews.com
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