LONDON — The anonymous letters arrived this weekend in plain white envelopes with second-class stamps, and were sent to people in at least six communities in England.
Inside was a message so hateful that it sent out ripples of alarm and prompted a national counterterrorism investigation.
The message said that April 3 would be “Punish a Muslim Day,” and that points would be awarded for acts of violence: 25 points for pulling off a woman’s head scarf, 500 points for murdering a Muslim and 1,000 for bombing a mosque.
Riaz Ahmed, a Liberal Democrat councilor in Bradford, in West Yorkshire County, told The Mirror on Saturday that he had received one of the letters at his business address.
“It seems strange that anyone would send something like this to an address in a predominantly Muslim area,’’ Mr. Ahmed was quoted as saying. ‘‘When I opened it and saw the content, I was horrified.
People in Birmingham, Cardiff, Leicester, London and Sheffield have also reported receiving the notes, according to the authorities, a member of Parliament and an organization that monitors anti-Muslim activity.
The Metropolitan Police of London and other officials have warned Britons to be vigilant, and counterterrorism officials are investigating.
Naz Shah, a member of Parliament from Bradford West, said on Twitter and in a Facebook post that members of her community had received the letters and that the situation had become “very distressful, not only those who have received the letter but also for the wider communities.”
Ms. Shah said the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, which is coordinating the investigation, had informed her that the letters appeared to be linked and that “a thorough and professional investigation is well underway.”
“I would appeal to the wider community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police,” she said.
MORE: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/11/world/europe/uk-muslims-letters.html