Muslims around the country, including University of Bristol students, have been receiving threatening Islamophobic letters.
Several Muslim students at the University of Bristol, who prefer to remain anonymous, have reported receiving violent Islamophobic letters at their home addresses.
#fanmail pic.twitter.com/t2ssEOpRuI
— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) March 15, 2018
The letters are entitled 'Punish a Muslim day: 3rd April 2018'. Underneath is a paragraph of Islamophobic rhetoric: they have hurt you, they have made your loved ones suffer.
They have caused you pain and heartache. What are you going to do about it? Are you a 'sheep' like the vast majority of the population?
We have been sent several reports of the ‘Punish a Muslim Day’ letter in London, the Midlands, and Yorkshire.
— TellMAMAUK (@TellMamaUK) March 9, 2018
We are working closely with the relevant police forces on this matter which is being treated with the utmost seriousness.
Update ➡️: https://t.co/CoGTBgFWwG
Sheep follow orders and are easily led, they are allowing the white majority nations of Europe and North America to become overrun by those who would like nothing more than to do us harm and turn our democracies into Sharia led police states.
Only you can help turn this thing around, only you have the power. Do not be a sheep!
Underneath is a list of hate crimes, referred to as 'action' to be taken, which the letters encourage with a points system. Verbally abusing a Muslim person 'earns' 10 points, while pulling off a Muslim woman's hijab is 25 points.
The violence and severity of the crimes escalates- throwing acid in a Muslim person's face is 50 points and beating up a Muslim person is 100 points.
'the violence and severity of the crimes escalates- throwing acid in a Muslim person's face is 50 points and beating up a Muslim person is 100 points'
For 250, 500, 1000 and 2500 points respectively, the letter states 'torture a Muslim using electrocution, skinning, use of a rack; butcher a Muslim using gun, knife, vehicle or otherwise; burn or bomb a mosque; nuke Mecca'.
Zoulikha Belblidia, the Interfaith Officer for Bristol University's Islamic Society, said that although she's 'not one to usually feel threatened' because she strongly believes 'that there are more good people than bad', the letters have made her feel 'shaken up'.
Literally i got tears in my eyes after knowing about punish a muslim day!... We all are humans! Spread love not hate🙏..... #BanPunishAMuslimDay ... On 3rd April, let's celebrate #LoveAMuslimDay together!. We Muslims are not terrorists!. We are humans as you!. Please stop🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/U5fRRybckJ
— Dua (@Varun_Shraddha_) March 26, 2018
Belblidia feels that someone taking the time 'to send these letters specifically targeted to Muslim homes with severe threats to earn “points” is an all time low.'
'I and the majority of Muslims are not responsible for the horrific terrorist attacks that have happened and responding in this way is simply an unjustifiable “excuse” to carry out Islamophobic attacks on innocent people'.
'I and the majority of Muslims are not responsible for the horrific terrorist attacks that have happened'
Aaminah Hafezi, a first-year medical student, says that '"Punish a Muslim day" is something that just shows how segregated our society is when viewing Muslims.'
'There is this underlying mentality of 'us' and the Muslims which I feel as a Muslim woman when I am in public.'
'What frustrates me is that it's also inciting fear into the Muslim community, creating a barrier that makes a Muslim feel like an alien in their own home. On the 3rd of April I'm wearing my favourite hijab, walking out the house with my head held high.'
If extremists seek division, we rise above. If extremists cause harm, we rise above. If you face hate, we rise to help: #WeStandTogether pic.twitter.com/4O8R7TbNeE
— TellMAMAUK (@TellMamaUK) March 23, 2017
An anonymous Muslim student received an email from Deputy Registrar of Academic Services, Lynn Robinson, in which she included the following university statement: 'the University of Bristol and Bristol SU are united in our condemnation of the recent attempts to incite hatred and violence towards Muslims.'
'Our Muslim staff and students are part of our University community and we want to reassure all staff and students that we will not tolerate hate on our campuses.'
If you do receive a letter or any similar threats, you should report it to the police on 101. You should report any attempts to incite violence to University Security Services - for more details click here.
(Featured image: Unsplash / Harits Mustya Pratama)
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