Man arrested for threatening worshippers at Scarborough mosque: police

Toronto police have arrested a man who is accused of entering 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.

Sources tell CityNews Toronto that the man came in after morning prayer. At the time more than a dozen students between the age of 8 and 10 years old were visiting the mosque.

They say the man seemed peaceful at first and shook hands with the Imam, then he began screaming, swearing and making death threats 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 (NCCM) 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.”

According to the NCCM, the suspect shouted Islamophobic, racist and anti-Palestinian slurs and threats against multiple individuals in the mosque, including worshippers, teachers and students.

Toronto police say the investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence.

Mayor Olivia Chow responded to the situation on Tuesday calling it a “terrible incident of Islamophobia.”

“Islamophobia and any form of hate is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our city,” Chow said in a statement posted to social media. “Toronto must be a place where people can feel safe, where they can be free to celebrate their culture, their identity, and to worship without fear.”

Chow also thanked the Toronto Police Service for investigating and making an arrest.

“Together, we must recommit ourselves to making Toronto a place where people feel safe, a place where everyone belongs,” she added.