Toronto man beats up 54-year-old Muslim hotel employee in hate crime

Canadian police are investigating a hate-motivated assault on a Muslim hotel employee in Markham, a city just north of Toronto.

The attack took place on September 28, when a 54-year-old night auditor was confronted by two guests who questioned him about his religion and ethnicity. One of them, who had earlier asked whether the worker was Muslim before leaving the hotel, allegedly returned and launched a violent attack.

York Regional Police said the victim suffered “life-altering injuries” in what investigators have called a hate-driven crime. “A Toronto man has been charged following a violent, hate-motivated assault on a hotel employee in Markham,” police said in a statement.

The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Geethansan Sriranjan, reportedly threatened to kill the victim and chased him into a room where the assault occurred. The suspect is believed to be a Tamil Hindu from Sri Lanka.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “a vicious, hate-motivated act.” The group’s chief operating officer, Omar Khamissa, said during a news conference that such incidents reflect the persistent threat of Islamophobia in Canada.

“What happened to our brother makes me sick to my stomach,” Khamissa said. “I am angry and frustrated that we have to face this problem again and again. This is a rupture that won’t heal in this country.”

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) reports that a 54-year-old hotel employee was beaten in what it describes as “one of the worst Islamophobia-motivated attacks” ever recorded by the group.

Local police are investigating the incident as a hate-motivated crime pic.twitter.com/Osy5O5oU8k

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Prime Minister Mark Carney also denounced the attack, calling it “appalling.” In a post on X, he said, “Acts of violence and Islamophobia have no place in Canada. The authorities have my full support as they work to bring the perpetrator to justice.”

The victim's daughter said this was a hate-fueled attack, an attack of violent Islamophobia that happened in Canada.

"When my parents came to this country, they believed Canada was a place of safety, of equality, of respect. But how safe are we really if my father can be attacked in his workplace simply for being what he is," she asked.