A 31-year-old Toronto man has been charged with hate crime after he assaulted a 54-year-old Muslim hotel worker in Markham — an attack that the cops called hate-motivated. Geethansan Sriranjan, the suspect, believed to be a Tamil Hindu from Sri Lanka, was intoxicated when he was trying to pay for his room but his credit card was denied. This upset the Sri Lankan man and when he got to know that the particular staff was Muslim, he told him he was going to kill him. There was a brief chase and Sriranjan beat up the Muslim man violently inside a room. The incident took place on September 28. “York Regional Police strongly condemn all acts of hate. Hate has no place in our community. We are committed to protecting all residents and take these matters seriously. All reports of hate crime or hate/bias incidents will be investigated thoroughly. If you witness or have been the victim of a hate crime or hate/bias incident, we encourage you to report it to police immediately,” York Police said in a statement. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) condemned what it described as a “vicious, hate-motivated attack,” calling it “a rupture that won’t heal” in Canada.“As I stand here with you, I am not just disappointed or sad; more than anything, I am angry,” said Omar Khamissa, NCCM’s chief operating officer, during a news conference. “Like all my colleagues, and so many in our community, I have seen Muslims across Canada be subjected to continuous attacks. This one just might be one of the worst.”Prime Minister Mark Carney denounced the attack and called it “appalling”. “The attack on a Muslim man in Markham late last month is appalling,” Carney said on X.“Acts of violence and Islamophobia have no place in Canada. The authorities have my full support as they work to bring the perpetrator to justice.”Ontario Premier Doug Ford also called the incident “completely unacceptable.” “Our government stands with Ontario’s Muslim community and will always fight back against Islamophobia in all its forms,” Ford said on X.“This hate-motivated attack on a Scarborough man is unacceptable. Violence rooted in intolerance has no place in our city or anywhere. We will not tolerate Islamophobia or hate in any form – together, we remain committed to building a city where everyone feels safe, respected and valued,” Toronto mayor Olivia Chow posted.
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