RCMP investigation finds incident at Surrey mosque not racially motivated

Mounties are working to resolve the matter either by involving the B.C. Prosecution Service or a restorative justice approach.
An investigation by Surrey RCMP into an incident at a Surrey mosque has concluded the event was not a racially motivated hate crime. RCMP received a report that someone in a moving vehicle had thrown water and pretended to run over three Ramadan worshippers outside the mosque on April 27.
In a release Saturday, RCMP said all individuals, including the six victims/witnesses and two suspects, were co-operating with police. “The investigation found that this was not a racially motivated hate crime. All occupants of the suspect vehicle were teenagers who are part of the Muslim community,” the release states. Mounties are working to resolve the matter either by involving the B.C. Prosecution Service or other measures, such as a restorative justice approach.
“The RCMP recognizes that any incidents such as this one that are initially believed to be a hate crime are traumatizing to our community,” said Brian Edwards, assistant commissioner for the Surrey RCMP. “However, once it was discovered that the nature of the incident was not hate motivated, it was important for us to update the public.” Edwards said he spoke with Muhammad Asad Gondal, president of the B.C. Muslim Association, and had a “positive discussion about the outcome of this event as well as our shared objective of ensuring safety of all communities, including our Muslim residents. “This event demonstrates the importance of reporting all such incidents to police so they can be fully investigated,” said Edwards.
Source: vancouversun.com