An arson Wednesday night at the Ibrahim Jame Mosque on King Street East was stopped by Syrian refugees who put out the small fire and helped police catch a suspect.
The attack comes on the eve of 15th anniversary of an arson attack on Hamilton’s Hindu Samaj Temple in the days after 9/11.
“Witnesses in the area indicated that (a) suspect who was seen lighting the fire had started to run away,” said Steve Welton with the Hamilton Police. Some of the witnesses also followed a suspect and helped police find him, Welton said.
Even before the fire department could arrive, those witnesses — described by members of the mosque as newly arrived Syrian refugees —had put out the fire.
“Had it not been for their prompt response, the damages could have been worse,” said Welton.
Police have charged Hamilton man Keith Frederick with arson in connection with the crime.
Frederick’s Facebook page includes several anti-Muslim posts, and posts that show anger or displeasure for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
One of the links shared on his page includes the headline, “Islam is a cult, not a religion — Angola bans Islam.”
The link is posted with the phrase, “Angola has the right idea.”
