Man charged over 'abhorrent' threat to Sydney mosque

The material posted to Sydney's Lakemba Mosque singled out Muslims, Middle Eastern communities, Indigenous people and left-wing politicians.

A mosque

The Lebanese Muslim Association said a threatening letter was posted to the Lakemba Mosque on Thursday. Credit: SBS

A man has been charged with sending letters that called for violence against Muslims and other groups on Australia Day.

The material posted to Sydney's Lakemba Mosque also singled out Middle Eastern communities, Indigenous people and left-wing politicians, putting locals on high alert.

After forensic testing on the letter, received on Thursday, counter-terrorism officers on Saturday raided a home at Burwood, in Sydney's inner west.

Investigators seized more than 100 letters, stamps, notepads and several electronic devices.

A 70-year-old man was charged with three counts of sending a document threatening death or grievous bodily harm and is due to appear in court on Sunday.

'Australia Day should not be weaponised'

The Lebanese Muslim Association said the timing of the threat, which coincided with 26 January, was concerning.

"Australia Day should unite Australians of all races, faiths and cultures, and not be weaponised as a tool of concealed racism," Lebanese Muslim Association secretary Gamel Kheir said.

The receipt of the letter came more than a month after the Bondi terror attack, in which 15 people were killed by two Islamic State-inspired gunmen.

NSW Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper said the incitement of violence on Australia Day was "abhorrent", urging people to celebrate what united them and not let hatred divide.

In a second incident, a man handing out religious flyers escaped serious injury after being assaulted in what police called a religiously motivated attack.

The 52-year-old man was part of a group handing out flyers in Bankstown, in Sydney's southwest, on Saturday.

He allegedly got into an argument about the flyers with another man who had been walking past, police said.

The pair were not known to one another.

During the argument, the 51-year-old man was assaulted, although he did not need medical attention.

A 40-year-old man later approached officers at the local train station and was arrested.

He was charged with common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and granted conditional bail to face Bankstown Local Court in February.


For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP




Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world