LONDON – Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday condemned the targeting of Muslim lawmakers who were sent noxious packages and copies of an Islamophobic “Punish a Muslim” letter.
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Addressing the House of Commons during the weekly Prime Minister’s Question Time in London, May said: “Mr. Speaker, members will also have seen reports of a number of suspicious packages targeting Muslim members.
“I’m sure the whole house will join me in condemning this unacceptable and abhorrent behaviour which has no place in our society.
“I can tell the House that an investigation is underway and steps are being taken to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
In the last two days, four high profile Muslim MPs received suspicious packages that contained the noxious substance, according to police.
One staff member was also hospitalized after coming into contact with the substance and the MPs offices were later cordoned off by police.
The “Punish a Muslim” Islamophobic letters advocated violence against Muslims and mentioned a points-based reward system for hurting followers of Islam; it was distributed throughout the country among many communities in London, the Midlands, and Yorkshire.
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It’s not clear who sent the letters or what they’re trying to accomplish. It seems, though, that the writers targeted predominantly Muslim communities. Politician Riaz Ahmed, for example, said he received one at his home in Bradford. The residents of his neighborhood are mostly British Pakistanis of Muslim backgrounds. “My guess is that the letter was meant to terrorize and cause discord within the various communities,” he said in the New York Times.
In a Facebook post, Naz Shah, a member of Parliament, wrote that members of her community are very distressed. “I would appeal to the wider community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police,” she wrote.
Hate crimes, too, are on the rise. According to the country’s Home Office, last year, hate crimes against Muslims jumped 29 percent, to 80,393 reported offenses. It’s the biggest jump since the Home Office began keeping track in 2011. Those incidents included several arson attacks on mosques and a British man accused of ramming a van into a group of people leaving a mosque. One person was killed; seven others were injured.
