SYDNEY — Australian police have launched an investigation after a threatening letter was sent to Lakemba Mosque, the country’s largest mosque, in the lead-up to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.The letter, received on Wednesday at the mosque in Sydney’s west, reportedly contained a drawing of a pig and a threat against the “Muslim race,” according to local media.Police said the letter had been seized for forensic examination and that patrols around religious sites, including Lakemba Mosque, as well as community events, would continue.The incident marks the third threatening message directed at the mosque in recent weeks. Earlier letters included one depicting Muslims inside a mosque on fire.Authorities have arrested and charged a 70-year-old man in connection with a separate threatening letter sent to mosque staff in January.The Lebanese Muslim Association, which administers the mosque, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that it had written to the government requesting additional funding for security guards and closed-circuit television cameras.Lakemba Mosque is expected to host around 5,000 worshippers each night during Ramadan.According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 60% of residents in the suburb of Lakemba identify as Muslim.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the threats, calling them “outrageous.”“It is outrageous that people just going about commemorating their faith, particularly during the holy month for Muslims of Ramadan, are subject to this sort of intimidation,” he told ABC radio, urging a reduction in heated political rhetoric.Reports indicate that anti-Muslim sentiment has risen in Australia since the outbreak of the Gaza war in late 2023.The Islamophobia Register Australia documented a 740% increase in reported incidents following the Bondi mass shooting on Dec. 14, in which authorities allege two gunmen inspired by the Islamic State killed 15 people attending a Jewish holiday celebration.Mayor El-Hayek said tensions have intensified in recent months. “There’s been a massive increase post-Bondi,” he said. “Without a doubt, this is the worst I have ever seen it. There’s a lot of tension out there.”
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