Hawzah News Agency (Quebec, Canada) – Members of the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre said a violent altercation at the mosque on the weekend has exacerbated the insecurities from the deadly 2017 shooting that left six people dead and a dozen others injured.

Officers arrested a 47-year-old man Saturday after he allegedly punched a taxi driver outside the mosque, where a gunman opened fire during evening prayers in January 2017.

Cultural centre co-founder Mohamed Labidi said a man approached people in the mosque's parking lot and began verbally harassing them, hurling Islamophobic insults and questioning their citizenship.

"'Why are you here? Do you have your passport?' Something like that," said Labidi.

A Muslim taxi driver who was passing by saw what was happening and tried to intervene. The man then assaulted him.

Quebec City police say the incident may be a hate-motivated incident.

Police initially said what took place was not a hate crime but now the force has altered its stance, saying what took place is not severe enough to be considered a hate crime under the criminal code, but it does appear to qualify as a "hate-motived incident."

Sandra Dion of Quebec City Police said police are still attempting to talk to the victim.

When Quebec City police arrived on the scene, the taxi driver who was hit was not there.

"We are still not in contact with this man and from what we have read in newspapers and the media this man does not wish to file a complaint. However, we can still lodge a complaint based on the testimony of witnesses," said Dion.

The suspect was released with a promise to appear in court at a later date.

Labidi said the incident "revives the sense of insecurity that we feel every time," and called on political leaders to take it as a warning.

"Be careful for the future because perhaps we will see a rise in heinous crimes," he said. "Now many people consider us second-class citizens, like we are not Quebecois."

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