KITCHENER - Hours before her temple was struck by vandals, Swami Chaitanya Jyoti was at the Kitchener vigil honouring those who lost their lives in the Paris terrorist attacks.

"I'm a member of this community and when people are grieving, it is my moral duty to attend," said the spiritual leader of Shri Ram Dham Hindu Temple on Bridge Street in Kitchener. "We stand together against these situations regardless of race or creed."

Within an hour of being at home and in bed asleep, Jyoti was startled to hear that five rocks had been thrown through two windows at the back of the building.

"This is an act of ignorance," said temple board member Vijay Solanki.

"This is a misdirected target and people not understanding the ethnic mosaic we have here," he said.

The vandalism at the temple comes two days after the co-ordinated attacks by gunmen and suicide bombers who killed at least 127 people in Paris on Friday. Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Staff Sgt. Mike Haffner of Waterloo Regional Police said the vandalism was an "unfortunate circumstance against a place of worship," but police are not describing it as a hate crime.

Police will not speculate on the motivation of the vandals or whether there is a connection to the terrorist attacks in Paris, he said. Haffner said police are continuing with regular patrols of places of worship in the region.

In Peterborough, a mosque was deliberately set on fire on Saturday. No one was hurt. Police wouldn't say whether the fire was connected to the attacks in Paris.

Solanki said the temple administration had agreed prior to the mischief to install motion lights and cameras at the back of the building. He said racial slurs have been painted on the temple wall in the past.

Solanki said he's received many emails especially from local residents who attend yoga class twice a week at the temple.

"I've received messages of concern and support," he said.

Jyoti said she was stunned when Swami Haripriya woke her telling her about the holes in the window.

"I heard this big noise and I thought something was wrong in the back," said Haripriya, who was in a sitting room at about 11:15 p.m. when the rocks were thrown at the temple.

"I turned the light on and I saw these big black holes in the door," she said. "When I saw that I was scared. I didn't come close to the door because I thought they were still there."

"The first thing I thought was that this happened because of the Paris attacks," said Haripriya.

"A thief wouldn't do this," she said.

Jyoti said she's worried the temple could be targeted again but she's not upset with the vandals.

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"God give them the wisdom to know what they are doing is wrong," she said.

"I don't hold a grudge. It doesn't solve the problem," she said.

Anyone with information on the vandals can call police at 519-650-8500, ext. 6399, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.