Ottawa Police are investigating the second attack at the Islam Care Centre on Somerset Street in just one week.
Just after 2 a.m. Wednesday video footage shows fire errupting by a doorway in the parking lot.
It appears debris and garbage was moved toward the door and set on fire.
“It was really a little hard to believe that there’s people who still want to do harm to people who are trying to do good,” said executive director Omar Mahfoudhi.
Mahfoudhi says he believes the attack was a hate crime.
The Ottawa Police Arson Unit is investigating the blaze and police are also looking at a note slipped through the mail slot of the Centre’s front door around the time of the blaze.
“There was some notes and some indication that hateful messages were left at the scene so we will be looking into…whether it’s a hate crime or not,” said Ottawa Police Const. Marc Soucy.
This is the second incident at the Islam Care Centre in a week.
Last Wednesday, windows at the centre and Ottawa mosque were smashed. A 27-year-old man turned himself into police and was charged with two counts of mischief and one count of assaulting police.
