Langley, B.C., mosque increasing security after receiving threatening letter
A Metro Vancouver mosque has received a disturbing letter containing references to Hitler and the Ku Klux Klan, and threatening violence.
The letter was received in the mail last Thursday, but the Langley Islamic Centre only shared a photo of it in a Facebook post Tuesday evening.
“We are shaken by a deeply concerning violent threat that was directed towards our beautiful community in Langley,” the post says. “The letter received…is meant to directly threaten members of the Langley Muslim community. The letter clearly stated a reference to the Christchurch Mosque Attack.”
Fifty-one Muslims were murdered, and 40 more injured when a lone gunman opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March of 2019.
“Absolutely the community is in shock, but it has brought us together and it’s allowed to us to reflect on the fact that these threats are real,” said Fawad Kalsi, the centre’s Imam.
The letter came via Canada Post and is made up of text cut from newspapers and magazines affixed to a sheet of paper.
“You have two months to shut ths (sic) place down and leave,” it begins, before referencing the Australian man convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the Christchurch massacre.
The mosque has turned the letter over to Langley RCMP who say the threat is being taken very seriously.
Local investigators are working with the B.C. Hate Crime Unit and INSET, a national team responsible for investigating threats related to terrorism and extremism.
The RCMP also says it is working to ensure the safety of people attending the mosque.
“Whether that means additional officers, additional patrols, attending services — basically everything is on the table,” said Cpl. Holly Largy.
The letter comes almost three months after a van attack in London, Ont., when four members of a Muslim family died after being run down in early June.
A nine-year-old boy was also hit and is the only member of his family to survive what police and Crown prosecutors have deemed an intentional act.
“We’re currently in the midst of a crisis — one in which hate, systemic racism and Islamophobia are on the rise,” said Fatema Abdalla, communications coordinator for the National Council of Canadian Muslims. “And so there is this need for systemic racism, for hate, for Islamophobia to spoken about by every single one of our politicians today. And we need to come up with a national plan against white supremacy.”
Police say the letter is being investigated as a possible hate crime, and anyone with information is asked to call Langley RCMP or CrimeStoppers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.