Centre had ‘major, major’ security worries

‘CAUGHT OFF GUARD’

“It is probably the most important place to meet for them,” he said.

Majdi Dridi of the Muslim Association of Canada attends the mosque regularly.

He said dozens of people flock there for prayers, with upwards of 250 people on Friday nights.

On its website, the centre describes its mission as helping to “develop the tools that would allow a better spiritual, social and economic flourishing of the Muslim community” while facilitating integration into Quebec society. It says it hopes to bring Muslims together and “offer them an Islamic spiritual and sociocultural life in harmony with the Quebec and Canadian society to which they belong.”

The centre, one of six mosques in the region, offers a range of activities for families and children, including Arabic lessons and instruction in the Qur’an and cultural practices.

“I live not far from the mosque, so I go and pray there almost every evening, so it’s a very important part of our community,” Dridi said. “All the people I talk to, they do not understand why this happened. The Muslim communities here in Quebec, we have never had terrorism or people who were extremists or fanatics. Most of the people work for companies or the government or go to university. We have never had any problems with any other communities, so it’s a big shock.”

The centre is equipped with several video cameras, but mosque president Mohamed Yangui said it had not received any threats recently. “We have a very good relationship with the neighbours, with the community,” he said.

On Sunday night, a nonprofit group that fights Islamophobia in Quebec said it has been asking authorities “for years” to deal with threats and attacks on Quebec mosques.

The Collectif Canadien Anti-Islamophobie said on Twitter Sunday night that the Quebec City attack was preventable, but nothing was done.

Salam Elmenyawi, head of the Muslim Council of Montreal, told the Montreal Gazette there are concerns about the safety of Muslims living in Montreal.

“We spoke with the police and we’ll be speaking with them again,” he said. “We’re thankful that (the police) are going around checking on the mosques and also on schools and daycares … Some people are frightened for their children, that’s for sure.”

Montreal’s Islamic Centre of Quebec said: “This attack on a sanctuary where innocent people, including children, gather has shaken us deeply.

“It runs against the core values we hold as Canadians.”