‘I will forgive him’: Islamic leader’s jaw fractured in reported attack in Victoria

An Islamic leader who suffered a fractured jaw in an alleged assault in Victoria, B.C., is sharing a message of forgiveness.

Imam Ebrahim Gadou said he was attacked in downtown Victoria on June 18, around 10:30 p.m.

He said he and his wife were parked in their vehicle near Cook Street and Fort Street when a stranger opened the driver’s side door.

“He pulled me out of the car and then started hitting me with his hand and his leg,” Gadou said in an interview on Monday.

He said the confrontation happened between congregational prayers at Masjid Al-Iman, where he serves as head Imam. He was wearing a traditional white thobe at the time.

“He spat on me and said, ‘Go home,’” Gadou said.

“I’m here to help. I’m here to support. I’m not here to do something wrong. To tell me, ‘Go back home.’”

Gadou said he tried to defend himself and pushed the man away, who eventually fell and ran off. The Imam said he called 911 and followed in his car until police showed up and made an arrest.

“If I have a chance to meet him and to kiss his forehead and [ask] him why he did that, I will forgive him,” Gadou said, noting he wants to hear a commitment to non-violence.

“Even if the court will ask him for money to be released, I’m going to pay it from my pocket.”

The Victoria Police Department confirmed an arrest has been made. A Victoria Police Department spokesperson didn’t provide any other information about the reported assault, but said the department will share more details on Tuesday.

Gadou said he has a minor fracture in his jaw, but it isn’t preventing him from working.

Self-defence request

The Canadian Council of Imams (CCI) said it worries the alleged attack was motivated by hate.

It’s urging governments to fund safety awareness and self-defence programming for communities targeted by violence.

“But at the end of the day, when it comes to violence and particularly hate-motivated violence, it really comes down to people’s hearts,” CCI executive director Imam Sikander Hashmi told CTV News.

“It really comes down to what society considers to be acceptable.”

In March, Statistics Canada released new data about police-reported hate crimes across the country. It says in 2024, there was an average of 19 hate crimes targeting Muslim people each month.