A late-night fire that broke out at a Toronto Islamic centre is being investigated as arson, police say.
The fire broke out around 11 p.m. Tuesday on the roof of The Reign of Islamic Da’wah, an Islamic information centre located in the city’s west end.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze fairly quickly. No one was in the centre at the time and there were no reported injuries.
Toronto Police Const. Victor Kwong said Wednesday that investigators have confirmed the fire was deliberately set and that gas cans were found on the property.
The centre’s imam, Muneeb Aden, expressed concerns that the centre, which is also home to a mosque, may have been targeted.
“We cannot really comment on the intent of this, but if it was arson then we say of course, a crime is a crime whether perpetrated by a Muslim or a Jew or a Christian and we stand against it as a community,” Aden told reporters at the scene.
Police say it’s too early to say whether the fire was a hate crime.
“Any time a fire is set deliberately with a disregard to life it is an issue,” Kwong told CTV Toronto. “Right now, it’s a little too early in the investigation to determine whether or not they were targeted out of a hate or a bias. It will definitely be something that we keep in mind as the investigation unfolds.”
Police canvassed the area for information on Wednesday morning. They are asking witnesses, as well as neighbouring businesses that may have area surveillance cameras, to contact them.
With files from CTV Toronto’s John Musselman
