A piece of meat was placed on the windshield of a member of Winnipeg’s Muslim community, which has created a concern that it might be an expression of hate.
Manitoba Islamic Association president Idris Elbakri said the meat, which they believe was pork, was found on the vehicle on Dec. 1.
Winnipeg police confirmed detectives are looking into the incident. The vehicle was parked in a public parking lot, police said.
Elbakri said he doesn’t think the meat was randomly put on the windshield.
The Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, prohibits Muslims from eating pork.
Elbakri worries the person who put the meat on the windshield knew the vehicle belonged to a member of the Muslim community.
It is not the first time something like this has happened. A couple months ago, Elbakri said the Manitoba Islamic Association received a strip of bacon from an anonymous sender in the mail.
He said the latest incident involving meat on the windshield is what raised concerns.
“When this happened I think we’re a little concerned there may be a pattern occurring,” Elbakri added.
He worries the United States presidential election campaign may have played a role. President-elect Donald Trump proposed a ban on Muslims during the campaign.
Elbakri fears that may be fueling the expression of negative feelings.
"The rhetoric in the U.S. has given some legitimacy to some people's feelings," he said.
The Islamic Association shared a photo on Facebook on Wednesday of the meat on the windshield asking any members of the Muslim community to report similar incidents to police.
Elbakri said many people have offered messages of support via social media since the incident happened.
“Broadly speaking people from all stripes are saying this is not who we are, this is not what we stand for,” he explained.
Winnipeg police said the act alone of putting meat on a windshield doesn’t constitute a crime. Police said if it’s done intentionally, it may lead to a criminal investigation.
