Montreal, June 11, 2025 — The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) strongly condemns the vile act of hate-motivated vandalism that occurred yesterday at the Canadian Institute of Islamic Civilization (CIIC) in Montreal. Overnight, multiple sides of the mosque’s exterior were defaced with the hateful phrase, an explicit and deeply offensive expression of anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia.

Thankfully, no one was injured and the damage was limited to the exterior. But this was not an isolated act. It reflects a dangerous national climate in which mosques, Muslims, Palestinians, and Canadians who speak out for Gaza are increasingly targeted and vilified.

“This was not just an act of vandalism—it was a deliberate attack on a Muslim institution and a direct expression of anti-Palestinian racism,” said Sharaf Sharafeldin, President-Strategy of the Muslim Association of Canada.

“We believe this incident is directly tied to the alarming rise in Islamophobia and the persistent refusal by political leaders to acknowledge and confront anti-Palestinian racism in Canada. The growing silencing, stigmatization, and criminalization of Canadians who support Palestinian human rights has created a climate in which such hate is not only tolerated but encouraged. In Quebec, this climate has been further inflamed by irresponsible and biased media narratives targeting MAC and Muslim civil society leaders.”

CIIC and other MAC mosques across the country have received a steady stream of hate in recent months—from threats to online abuse—particularly in response to the genocide in Gaza. This convergence of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism is growing, unchecked.

MAC calls on:

• Montreal Police to investigate the attack as a serious hate crime;
• The Governments of Quebec and Canada to publicly condemn this act and address the climate enabling it;
• All levels of government take urgent action to protect Muslim and pro-Palestinian communities and to recognize anti-Palestinian racism as a systemic issue.

Anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia dehumanizes, silences, and threatens Canadians every day. If our society is to uphold its commitments to our constitutional freedoms, these forms of hate must be named, confronted, and dismantled.

The CIIC has stood as a hub of education, worship, and intercultural dialogue. Our community will not be intimidated. We will continue to build bridges, uphold our values, and stand firm in our commitment to justice and dignity for all people.

À propos de l'Association musulmane du Canada

The Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) is a Canadian, independent, national, faith-based, charitable organization that provides spaces, services and programs for holistic education and personal development for Canadian Muslims. MAC has chapters in 13 major cities across the country alongside 20 mosques and community centers, 30 full-time, part-time schools and daycares. In all, MAC serves over 200,000 community members across Canada.