Toronto mosque vandalised after terrorism arrests

TORONTO - Vandals smashed 30 windows of a Toronto mosque and damaged nearby cars after the arrest of 17 suspected al Qaeda sympathizers accused of planning bomb attacks.

The vandals struck overnight at the west-end mosque, a police official said. A second official said he had no information on any link between the incident and the arrests, which began late Friday local time.

"The actual weapon that was used to break (the windows) is unknown," said secretary Ameer Ali of the International Muslims Organisation of Toronto, which houses the mosque. "We believe it has to be a heavy instrument, possibly a sledgehammer or a pick ax, or it could even be a crowbar."

About five cars in a parking lot next to the mosque also had their windows broken, Ali said. He said the two-story mosque sees about 500 worshipers daily and the organisation said the mosque is one of the largest in North America.

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair told a meeting with Islamic community leaders, "it is certainly possible that that damage was motivated by hate. Hatred in any form, and certainly in its expressions of violence and damaged property, will not be tolerated in our community."

Mohammad Alam, president of the Islamic Foundation of Toronto, said the vandalism may be the beginning of religiously motivated reprisals against the country's Muslim population, estimated at more than 600,000.

He said he backed the government's efforts to combat terrorism, but emphasized nothing had been proven in the suspected bomb plot, which has gripped the country.

"Like everybody knows, this is so far all allegation," Alam said. "To us, it doesn't matter what religion they belong to -- if they're a terrorist, they're a terrorist, they should be punished according to the law."

Tarek Fatah, spokesman for the Muslim Canadian Congress, said he felt "a mixture of shock and relief" following the arrests. "It's too close to home," he said.

The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations asked Muslims to co-operate with security agencies to fight terrorism.

The suspects, all from Ontario, remained in custody and their next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday local time.

Police say the arrested men had amassed enough explosives to build a bomb larger than that used in 1995 against the federal building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which killed 168 people, and they were planning to blow up targets in Ontario, Canada's political and economic heart.

The arrested men, all Canadian residents or citizens, were charged with terrorism-related offences and made a brief court appearance on Saturday. The 12 adults were sent to a high-security prison outside Toronto while the five youths were dispatched to area jails.

Police do not anticipate more arrests, but "reams" of evidence still must be analyzed, said Acting Sergeant Michele Paradis of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Lawyers for some of the suspects expressed dismay at the presence of armed officers inside the court during Saturday's hearing, saying it was prejudicial to their case.

Family and supporters said the allegations were motivated by suspicion towards Muslims.

"It's going to come down to nothing, that I'm sure of," said Mohammed Abdelhaleen, whose son Shareef is among the accused. "I'm suggesting there to be no foundation, for any of them. They are playing a political game."

Police said the group had acquired three tonnes of ammonium nitrate -- triple the amount used in the Oklahoma City bombing.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said the men had become "adherents of a violent ideology inspired by al Qaeda."

- REUTERS