Police investigating suspicious man who tried to enter Canton mosque wearing Muslim woman's attire

CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Police are investigating after a suspicious man entered a mosque Saturday in Canton Township.

UPDATE: CAIR: Man who tried to enter Canton mosque wearing Muslim woman's attire is no threat

According to the Canton Police Department, a man entered the Muslim Community of Western Suburbs on Palmer Road just before 10:30 p.m. He was wearing a niqab, a garment of clothing worn by some Muslim women to cover their face. Police said a greeter spoke with the man, believed to be in his 20s, and alerted security. The man fled the mosque on foot. 

A message was posted Sunday on the mosque's Facebook. It can be read, in part, below.

As many are aware, we experienced a security incident last night where a suspect apparently disguised as a woman in niqab entered the campus. After full review of our surveillance cameras by our security team we were able to identify the suspect's movements on the campus for the 10-15 min he was there. ... It appears that he was deterred by our vigilant community members and armed security and he fled. We have increased security measures accordingly and we have engaged the Canton police. We pray for continued safety and security for our houses of worship.

Investigators with the Canton Police Department are reaching out to other mosques in the area to see it was an isolated incident.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Canton Police Department at 734-394-5400.


About the Authors:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism