Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly have openly condemned the sending of a threatening letter to Lakemba Mosque in Sydney’s western suburbs, labeling the act as “disgraceful”.

On Friday, the Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) reported that the mosque had received a letter containing a “very serious threat,” specifically targeting migrants, with a focus on Muslims.

In a collaborative statement, Burke, who represents the Watson electorate where Lakemba Mosque is situated, and Aly, herself a Muslim, emphasized that “threats of violence have no place in Australia.”

“The Australian Government regards such threats with utmost seriousness. This incident has been rightly handed over to law enforcement,” Burke and Aly declared in their statement.

“Our nation is at its strongest when we prioritize unity over division.”

NSW Police told SBS News it was aware of the incident and had started an investigation.

It said there was no ongoing threat to the community.

Muslim leader urges action from leadership

In a statement, the LMA said Muslim communities have “become accustomed to receiving such disgusting and dangerous threats”.

“As Muslims, we are repeatedly told to be patient, yet we are rarely protected,” LMA spokesperson Gamel Kheir said in the statement.

“These threats don’t occur in a vacuum — they are the result of persistent political and media failure.”

The LMA urged the NSW and federal governments to “show leadership” and called for them to pass legislation that outlaws vilification on the basis of religion, race and culture.

Heavily-debated new laws passed in parliament this week will allow the government to forcibly shut down extremist organisations, and aim to curb the influence of antisemitic hate preachers and neo-Nazis in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack.

Labor was forced to dump provisions clamping down on racial vilification because of a lack of political support.

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