Suspect arrested over UK ‘Punish a Muslim’ letters

A man has been arrested in the UK in connection with a series of letters sent out to mosques and community groups, which threatened Muslims with torture and murder on April 3 of this year.

British media outlets named the suspect as 35-year-old David Parnham from the eastern English city of Lincoln.

Police officials said Parnham is accused of 14 offences, including soliciting murder. 

‘Punish a Muslim Day’ passed without major incident but drew the attention of British Counterterrorism officials, who launched an investigation into the letters.

The letters promised points for accomplishing a series of tasks that involved harming Muslims, starting with 10 points for verbally abusing Muslims and ending with 2,500 points for the ambitious objective of setting off a ‘nuclear bomb’ in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

One challenge included torturing a Muslim using electricity, skinning or the use of a rack.

The leaflet said: “They have hurt you, they have made your loved ones suffer. They have caused you pain and heartache. What are you going to about it?”

Officials said properties related to the suspect were being searched but that there was no immediate threat to the public.

There are more than 2.5 million Muslims in Britain, where Islam is the second-largest religion.