Warning: Annoying content. Members of the Muslim community in Surrey, BC, are on the rise after a group of worshipers leaving a local mosque were targeted by an aggressive driver. They say they were almost hit by a driver, who swore and threw water at them as they left a local mosque on Wednesday. Despite the intensity of the situation, one of the victims had the presence of the mind to start recording on his cell phone. The attack took place at 11 pm after the afternoon prayer. The group had just left the Surrey Jamea Masjid when they had a fight with a driver near 122nd Street and 72-A Avenue. The four men in the video call 911, telling the driver that he was about to be hit by a car when the driver of the vehicle suddenly doubled. People inside are heard shouting at them before someone in the back seat throws another bottle of water out the window. The BC Muslim Association issued a statement saying: “While our first priority is to ensure that our comrades are safe after such a horrific incident, we call on the police to investigate it as a possible hate crime.” RCMP says it has identified the person it believes was driving the suspicious vehicle, a lime green hatchback. “Although the motives of the suspect are not yet known, this is a very worrying incident addressed to our Muslim community. “We will work to determine the motives and we want to reassure the community that the incident will be fully investigated,” said Cpl. Vanessa Munn, of the Surrey RCMP, in a statement. “The research is in the early stages. “Investigators are in the process of talking to witnesses and taking video evidence,” Moon wrote. The BCMA says it is “very worried”, noting that men wore traditional clothing at the time. The union says the incident is particularly worrying in light of last year ‘s terrorist attack in London, Ontario, which killed four members of a Muslim family. Prime Minister John Horgan condemned the attack via Twitter. “I am disgusted by reports of an attempted terrorist attack on people outside the Sarai Mosque as they leave their prayers. I stand by those who are targeted and in the Muslim community. “We must condemn acts of hatred and racism wherever we see them,” he wrote. Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum also condemned the attack. “Surrey is a city that proudly celebrates our diversity and becomes stronger than it is. “What happened to members of the Surrey Jamia Masjid Mosque is deeply troubling and has no place in Surrey,” McCallum wrote in a statement Friday. The attack took place days before Eid Al-Fitr, the religious holiday marking the end of Ramadan fasting. The Surrey Jamea Masjid is a hub for the Muslim community and hundreds of worshipers will attend Friday prayers, many now outraged by what happened. Anyone who has information or who may have seen the incident is kindly requested to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502. With files from Andrew Weichel of CTV News Vancouver
