UK police arrest man over 'Punish a Muslim Day' letter

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – A 35-year-old man has been arrested over an Islamophobic letter, which promoted a so-called “Punish a Muslim Day” that was sent to Muslims across Britain earlier this year.

The man from Lincoln was arrested on suspicion of soliciting to murder, sending a hoax noxious substance and threatening letters, according to a statement from Lincolnshire Police.

The arrest followed searches at a residential property in South Lincoln and an office building in the city centre by officers from the Counter Terrorism Policing North East, the statement added.

“The 35-year-old from Lincoln was arrested on suspicion of soliciting to murder, sending a hoax noxious substance and threatening letters… The letters boast of horrific ‘rewards’ if people carry out attacks on Muslims, including torture, burning down mosques and throwing acid in peoples’ faces,” it added.

“They [letters] were posted through letterboxes across England, including West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Leicestershire and London.”

The letter, announcing a so-called “Punish a Muslim Day” on April 3, called on people to attacks Muslims in the form of verbal abuse, removing a woman’s hijab or headscarf, physical assault, or using acid on them.

It was posted to various addresses in March, and was also circulated on messaging service WhatsApp as well as social media platforms.

The letter showed a scale of “points” based on the action taken against Muslims.

The hate letter urged terrorist acts to “butcher a Muslim using gun, knife, vehicle or otherwise”, and “burn or bomb a mosque”.

Tell MAMA, a group tracking anti-Muslim hate crime in the U.K., had said it “has been sent several reports from Muslims in London, the Midlands, and Yorkshire who have sent the ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ letter.”

"This has caused quite a lot of fear within the community,” Iman Atta, director of Tell MAMA, said.

"They are asking if they are safe, if their children are safe to play outdoors. We have told them to keep calm, and to phone the police if they receive one of these letters."

British counter-terrorism police have launched a probe into the hate letter shortly after the reports in March.