Canadian police said on Sunday that they arrested a man and charged him with what they described as a "hate-motivated incident" at a mosque in Ontario after he approached a worshiper, threatened him, and directed religious insults at him.

York Regional Police stated in a statement that the incident occurred in the town of "Markham" while the suspect, Sharan Karunakaran, 28 years old, was arrested in Toronto.

Canadian Minister of Trade, Mary Ng, said in a press statement that it is "a hate crime, and it has no place in Canadian society."

The minister added, "This violence and Islamophobia have no place in our communities."

Local reports mentioned that a person came to the mosque in the town located 30 kilometers north of Toronto on Thursday, apparently tore one of the Qurans, and shouted at the worshipers.

Police said they charged the suspect with threats, assault with a weapon, and dangerous driving, and he is expected to appear before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Newmarket on Tuesday.