The Windsor Islamic Association is in a deep state of sorrow and shock following a terrorist attack at a mosque in New Zealand.
A self-proclaimed racist opened fire in two mosques during Friday prayers, killing 49 people.
President of the Windsor Islamic Council Mirza Baig told listeners on AM800's the Morning Drive, the community needs to remain vigilant because these incidents are happening more often and without warning.
He says the association is calling on Windsor police and other authorities to come up with a plan to protect worshippers at mosques.
"There is a growing trend of Islamophobia which is fueled by some hate-mongers who spread these for their political or other gains and that has helped to fuel this anger."
Baig emphasizes Islam is a peaceful religion.
"If a person kills one person it is as if he has killed entire mankind," he says. "That's the philosophy of Islam and we are being targeted as killers because of some twisted ideology followed across the world in a different part by some deranged terrorist."
Meanwhile, the former executive director of the Rose City Islamic Centre says she is terrified.
"I know that my community is terrified, I know that my children are terrified and on the most special day of the week, the day that we stand together side by side, calmly and at peace and completely defenseless quite frankly," says Remy Boulbol.
When she woke up this morning and saw the news, she closed her eyes and opened them again, hoping the information wasn't true.
"I don't even know that I'm angry, I'm just so sad, I'm sad this doesn't make any sense, what does make sense is that people continue to say things. They say things online, on TV, on radio and social media, and they think that they are just words, those words clearly matter," she says.
Boulbol believes this is a result of the hate that is being spewed all over the world and hundreds of people are being murdered.
On January 29, 2017, a gunmen shot and killed six worshippers at a mosque in Quebec City. 19 others were injured.