Nadine Osman
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and several Ontario officials have condemned a brutal Islamophobic attack on a Muslim hotel worker in Markham, north of Toronto, describing it as one of the most shocking hate-motivated assaults in recent memory.
Calling the September 28 attack “appalling,” Carney stressed that such “acts of violence and Islamophobia have no place in Canada.”
“The attack on a Muslim man in Markham late last month is appalling,” Carney stated in a post on X. “The authorities have my full support as they work to bring the perpetrator to justice.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also denounced the incident, calling it “completely unacceptable.”
“Our government stands with Ontario’s Muslim community and will always fight back against Islamophobia in all its forms,” he said. According to York Regional Police, the attack occurred around 3 am.
The 54-year-old victim was working as a night auditor at a Markham hotel when a guest, attempting to pay for his room, began questioning him about his religion and ethnicity after his payment card was declined. Upon learning the man was Muslim, the guest’s demeanour changed drastically.
The suspect allegedly became enraged, uttered death threats, and chased the victim to a hotel room, where he was “violently assaulted.” The attack left him with what police described as “gruesome and life-altering injuries.”
Police arrested 31-year-old Geethansan Sriranjan at the scene, charging him with assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats. Authorities have confirmed the Hate Crime Prevention Unit is now reviewing the case to determine if additional or more severe charges are warranted.
The victim’s wife, who asked for her family’s name to be withheld for safety, gave an emotional statement at a press conference organised by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM). She described how the assault has shattered her husband’s life and her family’s sense of safety in Canada.
“The man we know — strong, patient, and full of life — now carries pain that no one should ever have to endure,” she said. “No wife should have to see her husband like that. No children should have to see their father like that. This was not just an assault; this was an act of hate.”
She added that the attack had “filled our hearts with fear, sadness and disbelief,” turning their home into a place “filled with worry, sleepless nights, and the sound of our prayers.”
The NCCM has led the public response, calling the incident “one of the worst hate-motivated attacks” the organisation has ever encountered.
“I am not just disappointed or sad. More than anything, I am angry,” said Omar Khamissa, NCCM’s Chief Mobilisation Officer. “Like all my colleagues and so many in our community, I have seen Muslims across Canada be subjected to continuous attacks. This one just might be the worst. It is disgusting.”
Khamissa called for systemic reforms to tackle rising Islamophobia. “When will Canada realise that systemic changes are needed to protect our community from these acts of Islamophobic violence?” he asked.
The NCCM also emphasised that “Islamophobic rhetoric, dog-whistles and innuendo” which question whether Muslims belong in Canada have fostered an increasingly dangerous climate of hate. “We don’t need more words. We need change,” the organisation stated.
Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia, described the assault as “absolutely horrifying and vicious,” noting the man was “beaten so severely, he may never fully recover.”
“Canadian Muslims, like all Canadians, deserve safety,” she said. “Islamophobia remains an ongoing threat to our country and must be taken seriously.”
Speaking at the NCCM press conference, Elghawaby urged all levels of government, law enforcement, and educational institutions to act decisively.
“Muslims in Canada deserve safety, deserve dignity, deserve inclusion in every corner of Canadian life,” she said. “Everyone must stand against Islamophobia and counter the divisive, dangerous rhetoric and hateful narratives that are fuelling this toxic climate.”
Markham’s Mayor Frank Scarpitti expressed his solidarity with the victim’s family and the wider Muslim community. “We do stand in solidarity today with the victim’s family, with the victim, but with the broader Muslim community,” he said. “My only hope now is that the justice system in Canada will not let this family down.”
The assault comes amid a worrying surge in Islamophobic hate crimes across Canada. Attacks targeting Muslims have increased sharply over the past year, a trend that has intensified since the escalation of violence in Gaza after October 7, 2023.
Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian hate crimes have reportedly spiked by as much as 1,800% in some areas. A report titled “Documenting the Palestine Exception” by Nadia Hasan of York University’s Islamophobia Research Hub details a “sharp and dangerous” rise in hate incidents against Arabs, West Asians, and South Asians.
Recent months have seen multiple Islamophobic incidents, including a case in March where a woman in Ajax attempted to set a hijab-wearing woman on fire in a public library. Earlier in September, a 54-year-old man was charged in Newmarket for threatening to blow up a mosque and a Muslim family’s home. Advocates warn these incidents reflect a deep-rooted societal problem requiring immediate national attention.
Canadian MP Heather McPherson said her “heart is broken” for the victim’s family but insisted that “the words of politicians are not enough.”
She highlighted the severity of the violence: “This man had his skull broken and eye sockets smashed because of hate.” Prime Minister Carney echoed this sentiment, reaffirming his government’s commitment to combating Islamophobia and calling on Canadians to “stand together against hatred in all its forms.”
As the victim remains in hospital facing an uncertain recovery, Muslim community leaders say Canada is at a critical juncture. The nation must choose whether to confront the roots of its Islamophobia crisis or continue offering condolences without meaningful reform.
