A mosque in Edson was damaged in an overnight fire and local police are treating it as arson.
RCMP responded to the Edson Mosque after a fire broke out at approximately 11 p.m. Police said the fire is suspicious and they are not ruling out hate crime.
Surveillance video from the mosque shows a man in a black hoodie walking away moments after the fire started.
The structure was not fully engulfed, police said. The mosque’s rear entrance was damaged and there was minor damage inside.
People inside at the time were not injured, RCMP said.
Toufik Baterdouk, the vice president of the Islamic Society of Edson, says the mosque has not encountered any problems or vandalism since it opened five years ago.
“There’s a lot of shock here,” Baterdouk told CTV News. “And there’s a lot of concern considering how brazen it was, considering there was actually people in the property.”
Anyone with information about this arson is asked to call Edson RCMP at 780-723-8800. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477.
