Quebec City police are investigating after a pig's head was left in front of a mosque on the weekend.
The head was wrapped up in cellophane and decorated with ribbons and bows with a card wishing Muslims "Bonne Appétit" [sic].
A member of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec discovered the item Sunday morning and notified police.
“The community is very angry about this because this is a sacred space,” said Mohamed Yangui, president of the Islamic Centre of Quebec. “You can’t touch churches; this is a mosque.”
Yangui said this isn’t the first his mosque has been targeted.
“We had graffiti on the walls, twice we had a note stuck to the main door,” he said.
Etienne Doyon of the Quebec City police department said the mosque has surveillance cameras.
"If there is any video available, it will be distributed," said Doyon.
He added that the police presence will be heightened.
"Sporadic patrols are going to be increased, with individual officers advised of what has taken place," said Doyon.
Muslims are currently celebrating Ramadan, a month marked by fasting, charity, and self-accountability.
Similar items have been left in front of mosques, synagogues, and the offices for Montreal's police officers' union.
In those cases the heads have been considered a threat.
Doyon said in this case, it was too early to consider whether the head was a threat or a hate crime.
