A man is facing charges for allegedly distributing letters that incited violence against Muslims and other groups on Australia Day.

These letters, which were sent to Sydney’s Lakemba Mosque, also targeted Middle Eastern communities, Indigenous Australians, and left-wing politicians, creating a heightened sense of concern among local residents.

Following forensic analysis of one such letter received on Thursday, counter-terrorism officers executed a raid on a residence in Burwood, located in Sydney’s inner west, on Saturday.

During the search, investigators confiscated over 100 letters, stamps, notepads, and various electronic devices.

A 70-year-old individual has been charged with three counts of sending documents that threaten death or serious injury and is scheduled to appear in court on Sunday.

‘Australia Day should not be weaponised’

The Lebanese Muslim Association said the timing of the threat, which coincided with 26 January, was concerning.

“Australia Day should unite Australians of all races, faiths and cultures, and not be weaponised as a tool of concealed racism,” Lebanese Muslim Association secretary Gamel Kheir said.

The receipt of the letter came more than a month after the Bondi terror attack, in which 15 people were killed by two Islamic State-inspired gunmen.

NSW Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper said the incitement of violence on Australia Day was “abhorrent”, urging people to celebrate what united them and not let hatred divide.

In a second incident, a man handing out religious flyers escaped serious injury after being assaulted in what police called a religiously motivated attack.

The 52-year-old man was part of a group handing out flyers in Bankstown, in Sydney’s southwest, on Saturday.

He allegedly got into an argument about the flyers with another man who had been walking past, police said.

The pair were not known to one another.

During the argument, the 51-year-old man was assaulted, although he did not need medical attention.

A 40-year-old man later approached officers at the local train station and was arrested.

He was charged with common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and granted conditional bail to face Bankstown Local Court in February.

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