Canadian officials are condemning a violent Islamophobic attack at a Markham hotel that has left a worker permanently disfigured.
The hate-motivated incident occurred in the early hours of Sept. 28, when York Regional Police (YRP) responded to an assault call at a hotel near Highway 7 East and Commerce Valley Drive West. According to a YRP press release, it was initially reported that an intoxicated guest had become aggressive.
Police say the suspect was arrested at the scene, while the victim was transported to a trauma centre. Following a thorough investigation, it was later determined that the situation unfolded after the suspect’s credit card was denied, prompting a verbal altercation with the hotel employee.
Upon learning that the employee was Muslim, the suspect allegedly became enraged, threatened to kill him, and chased him into a room before physically assaulting him.
On Wednesday, police announced that they charged the suspect from Toronto, 31-year-old Geethansan Sriranjan, with Assault Causing Bodily Harm and Uttering Threats.
Several elected officials denounced the attack, taking to social media to voice their frustration and disbelief over the incident while calling for action to combat Islamophobia across the country.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the attack “completely unacceptable,” and assured his government stands with the Muslim community.
“No one should ever be targeted or feel unsafe because of their faith,” the premier wrote on X.
This vile act of hate is completely unacceptable. No one should ever be targeted or feel unsafe because of their faith. Our government stands with Ontario’s Muslim community and will always fight back against Islamophobia in all its forms. https://t.co/dGGerk21tE
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) October 8, 2025
Later that day, Prime Minister Mark Carney called the incident “appalling” and pledged his full support to police seeking justice.
“Acts of violence and Islamophobia have no place in Canada,” Carney said on X.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said it appreciated Carney’s response online and provided more details, describing the attack as “horrific and brutal” and saying it caused life-altering injuries to the victim.
“At a time of rapidly increasing hate and Islamophobia, we need to work together to stop systemic and violent Islamophobia,” the organization added.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow also condemned the attack, emphasizing that such acts of violence are unacceptable in the city.
“Violence rooted in intolerance has no place in our city or anywhere,” Chow wrote on Thursday. “We will not tolerate Islamophobia or hate in any form – together, we remain committed to building a city where everyone feels safe, respected and valued.”
This hate-motivated attack on a Scarborough man is unacceptable.
— Mayor Olivia Chow 🇨🇦 (@MayorOliviaChow) October 9, 2025
Violence rooted in intolerance has no place in our city or anywhere. We will not tolerate Islamophobia or hate in any form – together, we remain committed to building a city where everyone feels safe, respected and… https://t.co/2RzbokF9J9
This incident is the most recent in a troubling pattern of Islamophobic attacks reported in recent years. Only months ago, the NCCM urged for police to further investigate a swarming incident, where an Oshawa woman had her hijab pulled off and head stomped on by a group of attackers.
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“Islamophobic attacks have spiked across the country in the past two years… our leaders must take action to address this wave of hate,” the NCCM said.
