Communities across the UK have been responding to violent threats contained in a letter promising that 3 April would be “Punish a Muslim Day”.

The phrase was coined in an anonymous letter distributed to some homes and businesses last month, with recipients in east London, the Midlands and Yorkshire. The letter suggested people could win “points” for a range of activities aimed at Muslims, including removing a headscarf from a woman or beating a person up. Muslim MPs were also sent the letter.

Events have been planned across the country to show opposition to the threats. Nottingham is hosting a Love a Muslim Day event, scheduled to take place at the city’s Brian Clough statue between 2pm and 8pm. It will feature music and poetry, and organiser Farouk Azam says the event is an “opportunity for good people in Nottingham to stand together in solidarity, to show we can live side by side in a city we love”.

There are also #LoveAMuslimDay events planned in Bradford, Wakefield, Sheffield and Leeds, and Stand Up to Racism Edinburgh will hold a demonstration in the Scottish capital.

The #LoveAMuslimDay hashtag originated with an alternative letter circulated by the charity Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend). Written by its Yorkshire & Humber regional manager, Shahab Adris, it suggests getting points for smiling at a Muslim or inviting them into your home.

The Love A Muslim Day letter written by Mend’s Shahab Adris. Photograph: Mend/Shahab Adris

Adris, from Leeds, said: “I thought, let’s turn this letter on its head, keep the points system and turn it into something lovely. Some of the responses I’ve seen from the Muslim community have been really positive, but the most remarkable thing has been getting responses from people who are not Muslim, saying they will do something with a Muslim colleague.”

Some sections of the Muslim community have arranged measures to help people worried they may suffer violence on the day. Using the hashtag #ProtectAMuslimDay, volunteers are manning phone lines to take calls from people worried about travelling to arrange help. “We’ve already had a few calls today asking if we could get volunteers to accompany females out and about, and a couple just wanting to stay on the phone with us as they felt unsafe. It’s been a positive response with over 100 volunteers signed up from across the country,” said a spokesperson.

3rd of April has been planned as a "PunishAMuslimDay" To help our community feel safe, we have organised the #ProtectAMuslimDay initiative. We have organised volunteers from around the UK to help you if you feel unsafe on the day, call: 07985606148 or 07985601849. More info 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/XbzWd9qMC5 — Jamilla جميلة (@JamillaTweets) March 28, 2018

The hashtag #PunishAMuslimDay began trending on Twitter in the UK early on Tuesday. The vast majority of the tweets condemned the idea. However, some from accounts using the logos of far-right organisations suggested the letter had been a “false flag” operation.

There were also some instances of fake claims about the day being spread on social media, with one tweet suggesting that “10 Muslims have been killed today in the name of ‘Punish a Muslim Day’” being shared more than 100 times, and other tweets claiming “attacks have already begun”.



The viral letter also crossed the Atlantic, with Portland Public Schools in Oregon issuing a statement saying: “We became aware this afternoon that an anti-Muslim flier has been circulating to some of our schools and families. The flier, which appears to have originated in the United Kingdom, declares tomorrow, 3 April, as ‘Punish a Muslim Day’. We find this, and other offensive language in the flier, to be deplorable. While we are unaware of any direct threats based on these fliers, we have alerted the Portland Police Bureau, as well as our PPS security staff.”



A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police in London said no credible information had been received to suggest any attacks were planned, and that an investigation led by counter-terrorism policing north-east, and supported by the Metropolitan police counter-terrorism command, was ongoing to identify those responsible for the letter.

They added: “These messages seek to cause fear and mistrust amongst our communities and to divide us. Yet in spite of this our communities have shown strength in their response to such hatred and in their support for each other.”