OTTAWA—Muslim groups are disappointed that Stephen Harper hasn’t spoken out against a spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes since two separate attacks by jihadist sympathizers left two Canadian soldiers dead last week.

The prime minister has not publicly uttered one word of support for Canadian Muslims following the attacks, which Harper and the RCMP have labelled acts of terrorism.

He’s remained silent despite an apparent backlash against Muslims, including thedefacing of a mosque in Cold Lake, Alta., racist slurs against Muslim candidates in Toronto’s municipal election and threats against the B.C. Muslim Association.

In the latest incident, windows were smashed early Friday morning at the Assunnah Muslims Association mosque in Ottawa.

Mosque president Mohammed Mostefa believes the vandalism was “probably” in response to the two attacks against soldiers: the hit-and-run murder of a soldier in Quebec and the killing of an honour guard at the National War Memorial by a gunman who then stormed the Parliament buildings.

In both cases, the killers were Canadians with an alleged history of drug addiction, mental illness and admiration for Islamic extremists who’ve been on brutal rampages in Iraq and Syria.

Muslim groups have condemned the Canadian killings and the extremist beliefs which apparently motivated them. But they say their efforts to demonstrate that most Muslims do not share those beliefs and to show solidarity with non-Muslim Canadians need to be reinforced by political leaders, particularly the prime minister.

“We are trying to work together with our law enforcement and our authorities to end this, what is called radicalization of youth. We are trying to do our utmost to help,” said Mostefa.

But when political leaders denounce Muslim extremists but don’t come to the defence of moderate Muslims, Mostefa said young Muslims will think: “This is my country and you don’t come to my support to stand by my side.”

And that sends “the wrong message.”

“Our leaders have a very important role to play,” concurred Amira Elghawaby, human rights co-ordinator for the National Council of Canadian Muslims. “It’s the leaders who have to set the positive tone.”

Immediately following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, Elghawaby noted that then-prime minister Jean Chrétien visited a mosque “just to show Canadians that there’s no such thing as collective guilt.”

She said her group expects Harper, “as leader of our country, to speak up for the minorities that live here.”

 Asked why Harper has not specifically denounced any of the recent anti-Muslim incidents, the prime minister’s spokesman Jason MacDonald said: “These acts are obviously unacceptable.

“That’s why our government has issued statements, like the one issued by (Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney) last week, among others, condemning this vandalism.”

Last week Kenney issued a written statement condemning the vandalism of the Cold Lake mosque as “a cowardly act” that “has no place in Canada.” He said Canadians “will not stand for crimes of intolerance and bigotry against anyone.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair have both acknowledged the concerns of Canadian Muslims since the shootout on Parliament Hill.

Source: The Star