OttawaA racist slur was spray-painted on the side of a Stittsville Muslim Association (SMA) building in Ottawa on Tuesday evening and police are investigating, according to local councillor Glen Gower.Children arriving for summer camp were first to see vandalism, says volunteer imamGabrielle Huston · CBC News · Posted: Aug 29, 2025 3:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoSomeone spray-painted the N-word on a Stittsville Muslim Association building in Ottawa on Tuesday night. The photo has been blurred. (Submitted)Ottawa police are investigating after a racist slur was spray-painted on the side of a Stittsville Muslim Association (SMA) building in Ottawa on Tuesday evening, according to the area’s city councillor.Security camera footage shared by the SMA shows a person approaching the building at 10:35 p.m. Tuesday and scrawling something on a wall before hurrying away. Photos taken the next day show the N-word written on the building in thin blue letters.”It was very hurtful, especially [because] we have a very heavy African representation in the community,” said Ahmed Elemam, a volunteer imam at the SMA. Children arriving for a summer camp on Wednesday morning were the first to see the slur, Elemam said.”All the kids saw the slur, and it was so hard … explaining it to the kids because some of them just learned to read,” he said. “So they went to the [camp counselor and asked], ‘What does that mean?'” “Even my daughter came and asked me, she’s seven years old, and she’s like, why would someone do that? Why be so hurtful?”Councillor, MP condemn racist actStittsville Coun. Glen Gower posted a statement online to say that he was “deeply saddened” by the vandalism.”I have had the chance to speak with the SMA to express my support and solidarity with their members,” he wrote. “This incident has caused a lot of shock and hurt in the community, and I want to reiterate that residents of Stittsville stand firmly against hatred, racism, and Islamophobia.”Local MP Jenna Sudds also commented on the incident, writing she was “deeply disheartened.””This and other Islamaphobic attacks remind us that we must continue to stand up for the dignity and respect of people of all faiths,” she said.Gower, Sudds and the SMA said police are investigating, but the Ottawa Police Service has not confirmed that to CBC, nor provided any additional information.’We have to do better’Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe posted online Thursday that he was “shocked” and called the incident “profoundly troubling and hurtful to SMA members and to Muslim residents across the city.” On Friday afternoon, Sutcliffe held a news conference to condemn recent hate crimes in the city including an attack on a Muslim woman on an OC Transpo bus and the stabbing of a Jewish woman at a grocery store. “I have to say, it’s hard not to have a strong emotional reaction over what’s happened in our community,” he said.”I feel upset because this isn’t Ottawa…. People should be able to go to the grocery store without experiencing the risk of violence. They should be able to take the bus without feeling afraid. They should be able to go to their place of worship without feeling intimidated.”Sutcliffe added he’s spoken with Elemam since the incident.”I was very touched by [Elemam’s] words,” he said. “I called him to offer my support. He ended up making me feel better. He was very wise about how we cannot let this change our perspective and I agree with him. To the members of our Muslim community, I want to reiterate you are not alone. We are with you. The entire community is with you, but we have to do better as a community.”ABOUT THE AUTHORGabrielle is an Ottawa-based journalist with eclectic interests. She’s spoken to video game developers, city councillors, neuroscientists and small business owners alike. Reach out to her for any reason at gabrielle.huston@cbc.ca.Follow Gabrielle on BlueskyFollow Gabrielle on InstagramWith files from Jayden Dill
Stittsville Muslim Association targeted with racist graffiti
