QUEBEC — A package expressing hate toward a Muslim cemetery project was delivered last week to the Quebec City mosque where six men were shot dead in January, police said Wednesday.
Quebec City police spokesman David Poitras said security has been increased around the Centre culturel islamique de Quebec and that authorities are taking the matter seriously.
He added it's too soon to know whether any charges will be laid.
The package arrived two days before a referendum on a proposed Muslim cemetery was held Sunday in nearby Saint-Apollinaire, but the mosque did not immediately report it to avoid influencing the vote.
Voters rejected a zoning change that would have allowed the burial ground project to move forward by 19 votes to 16.
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard condemned the incident, which he described as "unacceptable and repulsive."
"We should all condemn these acts, they're not unique to Quebec, we see this around the world where communities co-exist," he said in Edmonton as he attended a premiers' meeting.
He described the parcel as "an offensive document."
This is not the first time a hateful gesture has been directed toward the mosque.
Last June, a pig's head was left at the entrance of the mosque during Ramadan. The pig's head was wrapped in paper and was accompanied by a note that read "Bonne (sic) appetit."
In January, six men between the ages of 39 and 60 were killed when a gunman burst into the mosque and opened fire during evening prayer.
The mosque has said it has also received hateful letters since the attack.
