Imam allegedly assaulted during prayers at Scarborough mosque

The Islamic Foundation of Toronto (IFT) says a man assaulted their Imam during morning prayers on Monday.

Imam Yusuf Badat told CityNews 680 that the incident happened during Fajr prayers offered before sunrise.

He said a man walked to the front of the congregation and began yelling in a language he did not recognize and then grabbed his beard. Two congregants restrained the man and held him until police arrived.

Badat said the man has been arrested and police have banned him from returning to the mosque.

In a statement, IFT president Syed Akbar Warsi said the community is “deeply troubled” by the incident and that it is understandable that many are concerned.

“We must stress, however, that we simply do not have enough information to assess what led to this incident: while we encourage Toronto Police Service to keep all avenues of investigation open, including potential hate motivation, we encourage our community not to speculate about potential motivation until the investigation has been concluded.”

He said no further comments will be made at this time.

Toronto police confirm they received an “assault in progress” call at 7 a.m. in 42 Division.

“Our investigation is underway & we are in close contact with community leadership. Toronto Police investigates all potential hate crimes fully,” they said on Twitter.

MPP Michael Ford expressed his concern in a tweet, saying “everyone has the right to feel safe in their places of worship.”

While I am relieved that no one was hurt, everyone has the right to feel safe in their places of worship. I want to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the courageous congregants of @iftlive who helped diffused the situation. https://t.co/EtmwYdNEDY

— Michael Ford (@MichaelFordTO) December 12, 2022

Additional security measures have been put into place at the mosque for the safety of the congregation.

In thoughts shared in the aftermath of the incident later in the day, Badat stressed the need for security and self-defense.

“We can no longer simply rely on authorities to keep us safe,” he said in a written statement. “We must have our own training, security and safety apparatus in place.”

Earlier in that day, Badat said that he will not pursue any charges if police find the man to have mental health issues.

In his statement he emphasized that mental health is a serious issue and that those who need supports should have access to them.

“On the same token, mental health is no excuse for accepting or downplaying violence or assault,” he said.

A few thoughts in the aftermath of this morning’s incident. pic.twitter.com/WNFrMf9ewa

— Yūsuf Badāt (@BadatYusuf) December 12, 2022