'We have to band together': Vandalized Pointe-Saint-Charles mosque opens doors to public
Muslim community seeks to dispel misconceptions about Islam following deadly attack at Quebec City mosque
Mosques in Montreal opened their doors Friday to show the public what goes on inside and to spread awareness about Islam and the Muslim community.
One of those mosques was the Khadijah Masjid Islamic Centre, in Montreal's Pointe-Saint-Charles neighbourhood, which Thursday had its windows smashed and was egged.
The act of vandalism happened on the same day that thousands attended a funeral for three of the six Quebec City mosque shooting victims just miles away.
The vandalism is being treated as a hate crime by police.
Members of the Khadijah Masjid Islamic Centre told CBC News that people who commit such acts are themselves victims of misinformation.
Dozens of people from the community rallied outside the mosque in support of its members.
"The acts of vandalism don't express Canadian values, Quebec values, and we're not going to put up with it," rally attendee Jen Fisher said.
Manuel Johnson said it is unacceptable that people are targeted for their religious beliefs or ethnic background.
"We have to band together to fight hatred and xenophobia," he said.
The public was also welcomed inside to attend the mosque's third prayer.
Elsewhere in Montreal, and across Canada, the Ahmadiyya Muslim community opened their doors.
One of its mosques, the Al-Nusrat Mosque in Montreal North, wanted to dispel myths about Islam.
"We basically want to clear the misconception that there's something going on," said Rafi Safdar, the secretary of foreign affairs of the Montreal West Ahmadiyya community.
"We come to Friday prayer to pray, and it's like any other religion," he said.
Other members of the mosque's community said despite what happened in Quebec City, they still feel safe in Quebec and Canada.
"They can't change our thinking. We still feel safe," Imam Luqman Ahmed said.
"Coming from Pakistan, I just arrived here. They gave us shelter. And from Pakistan, we have been persecuted there."
A Concordia University software engineering student, Awais Mughal said most of the mosque's members are immigrants to Canada fleeing persecution.
"So even though this has happened, we still feel safe in Canada, in Quebec," Mughal said.
with filed from CBC's Arian Zarrinkoub and Jaela Bernstien