A fire that occurred overnight on Thursday at the Toronto home of a Liberal member of Canada’s Parliament is under investigation for possible arson, the police said.
Stephanie Miceli, a spokeswoman for the Toronto Police Service, said the police responded to a call at 1:21 a.m. to reports of “multiple vehicles that were on fire” in a residential neighborhood in the Bellamy Road North and Lawrence Avenue East area.
Salma Zahid, who represents the Scarborough Centre-Don Valley East federal electoral district in the province of Ontario, said in a statement, shared on social media, that an “individual set my car and another vehicle on fire.”
“My son noticed the fire and we called 911,” as did neighbors, Ms. Zahid said.
Ms. Miceli confirmed the fire took place at Ms. Zahid’s home. The report drew a rebuke from Canada’s prime minister.
Both vehicles were destroyed, but there was no damage to her home, Ms. Zahid said. “My family and I are all safe,” she said.
Ms. Zahid said she did not “want to speculate on a possible motive” but condemned the attack, saying it would “not deter me from my work” serving the district.
Toronto Fire Services extinguished the fire, which caused damage to three vehicles, Ms. Miceli said. No injuries were reported, and the report is being investigated as a suspected arson, she added.
Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada called the episode “unacceptable” in a social media post and offered his full support to the police in the investigation.
“This is a cowardly act of violence and intimidation,” Mr. Carney said, adding, “It is not who we are as Canadians.”
Ms. Zahid has been a member of Parliament since 2015 and is the chair of its Standing Committee on Science and Research.
She has worked to raise the visibility of racial minorities and women and has spoken against the oppression of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, according to her website. She has also chaired the Canada-Palestine Parliamentary Friendship Group, her site says.
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