SYDNEY – Australian police have launched an investigation after a threatening letter was sent to Lakemba Mosque, Australia’s largest mosque, ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Local media said the letter, received at a mosque in Sydney’s west on Wednesday, included a picture of a pig and a threat against the “Muslim race”.
Police said the letter had been seized for forensic examination and that patrols around religious sites and community events, including the Lakemba Mosque, would continue.
The incident marks the third threatening message directed at a mosque in recent weeks. Previous letters also included depictions of Muslims inside a burning mosque.
Authorities arrested and charged a 70-year-old man in connection with a separate threatening letter sent to mosque staff in January.
The Lebanese Islamic Association, which manages the mosque, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation it had written to the government asking for additional funding for security guards and closed-circuit television cameras.
Lakemba Mosque is expected to host around 5,000 worshipers each night during Ramadan.
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According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 60% of residents in the Lakemba suburb identify as Muslim.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the threat as “outrageous”.
“It is outrageous that people acting solely to commemorate their faith should be subjected to this type of intimidation, especially during the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims,” he told ABC radio, calling for a reduction in heated political rhetoric.
Anti-Muslim sentiment has increased in Australia since the outbreak of the Gaza war in late 2023, according to reports.
The Islamophobia Registry Australia recorded a 740% increase in reported incidents after the Bondi shooting on December 14, when authorities claimed two Islamic State-inspired gunmen killed 15 people attending a Jewish holiday celebration.
Mayor Elhayek said tensions have increased in recent months. “We saw a huge increase after Bondi,” he says. “Without a doubt, this is the worst situation I’ve ever seen. There’s a lot of tension there.”
