Mosque Break-in fuels fears

MOSQUE BREAK-IN FUELS FEARS - TOP Local Muslims brace for more terror falloutCarol Sanders, Winnipeg Free Press, 6/7/06

http://winnipegfreepress.com/

WINNIPEG Muslims say a break-in at the St. Vital mosque is the first of several aftershocks the community expects due to the arrests of terror suspects in Ontario.Intruders broke into the Manitoba Islamic Association mosque on Hazelwood Avenue overnight Monday. The front and back doors were damaged and there was minor damage inside, said Dr. Ghassan Joundi."With the timing, I don't think it's random," said Joundi, president of the Manitoba Islamic Association. "It was a hate crime."There were no graffiti messages left behind, but Joundi said he is convinced it's fallout from the Ontario arrests and intense media coverage they garnered."If the whole thing is true -- we're still hoping it's not -- then police agencies did a wonderful job of preventing a catastrophe," he said. "I don't think the whole community should be blamed, though."The suspects in Ontario may have Islamic names and call themselves Muslims but they have nothing to do with Islam and its belief in peace, he said.Joundi was still waiting yesterday afternoon for police to respond to the mosque break-in. He hopes police will increase patrols in the area.Other Winnipeg Muslims share Joundi's concern."We dread and fear what's going to happen now," said Rehman Abdulrehman, 30. There was a sense of relief that officials have made the arrests but that's being replaced by the fear there will be retaliation against average Muslim citizens, he said. It's already started, said Abdulrehman."There were racist comments like 'go back home' and 'terrorist.'" (MORE)