Police in Vancouver are searching for a suspect after a mosque was vandalized overnight in an incident investigators say could constitute a hate crime. A maintenance worker at the Al Masjid Al Jamia mosque discovered graffiti on the building and reported it to police early Friday morning. Security camera footage captured a suspect spray-painting the words “UK BLOOD IS ON YOUR HAND” on the mosque’s front doors. Haroon Khan, a director with the Pakistan-Canada Association, which manages the mosque, said the incident happened around 11:30 p.m. Thursday. “A young fellow in a hoodie came forward and basically had a can of red paint and spray painted a very nonsensical message,” Khan told CTV News after reviewing the security video on Friday. “It’s bizarre but it’s basically hatred. It’s vandalism, and it’s something that should not happen anywhere, whether it’s a church, a synagogue, a temple.” The Vancouver Police Department said investigators have searched the area for evidence, including additional surveillance video, as they work to identify the suspect. Police are also increasing patrols around the mosque, located on West 8th Avenue. “This type of incident has a significant impact on the people who gather to worship and connect with their community,” said Sgt. Adam Donaldson, a Vancouver police spokesperson, in a statement. “We want to reassure the Muslim community that these acts won’t be tolerated, and if the evidence supports hate crime charges, we will pursue them.” Vancouver Mayor Pete Fry said Friday he was “very disappointed” to learn of the vandalism, calling it “totally inappropriate to target any place of worship.” “The city reacts very quickly to these kind of things, so we already have folks on site to remove the graffiti,” Fry said. “But it’s painful.” The Al Masjid Al Jamia mosque has served the community with open doors for more than 60 years, Khan said. “We’re here to pray for everyone,” he added. “We pray even for the person who did this, that they gain some kind of understanding that we’re all in this bloody thing together.”
