An investigation into a late-night blaze at Peterborough’s only mosque Saturday has determined that the fire was deliberately set.
Firefighters responded to the fire at Masjid Al-Salaam at about 11 p.m. after receiving a call from a neighbour.
They quickly confined the fire to the main floor of the Parkhill Rd. W and Crowley Cres. building.
No one was injured in the fire.
The building suffered heavy smoke damage inside, with little damage evident outside. Damage is estimated at $80,000, fire officials said.
The Ontario Fire Marshall (OFM) determined the fire was deliberately set, police stated Sunday.
Purchased in 2001, the mosque is run by the Kawartha Muslim Religious Association (KMRA).
“The police are treating it as a hate crime, as far as we know, but we don’t have any more details,” said Kenzu Abdella, KMRA president.