Community ‘devastated’ by terror threat against Lakemba Mosque

The Bankstown mayor has raised concerns for the “frightened” Muslim community after an investigation was launched into another terror threat against a Sydney mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.The Lebanese Muslim Association reported the shocking online threat to the police on Wednesday,and they confirmed they were urgently investigating.

A social media user, going by the name “wello”, posted “Christchurch again please” to the LMA’s social media pages, with the threat directed at the Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney.

The comment refers to the 2019 Christchurch terror attack on Muslims in New Zealand.

“Lakemba Mosque has been directly threatened, with vile references to the Christchurch attack,” the LMA said on Thursday.

“Hate speech, threats and Islamophobia are on the rise and we ask, when will this stop?

“Places of worship and education should be safe spaces.

“Yet, our community continues to face attacks simply for practising our faith and educating our children.”

An Australian terrorist murdered 51 innocent people in the Christchurch attack.

The LMA said it had reported the matter to the NSW Police Hate Crimes Unit.

On Friday, Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek said it was a “tough 24 hours” for the community, who were “devastated” by the threat to their place of worship during Ramadan.

“They’re frightened and they’re very concerned about these people making all kind of threats to different mosques,” he told Today.

He added the Muslim community was deeply affected by the threat, which coincided with the last 10 days of Ramadan, which ends on March 30.

“As we enter the last 10 days of Ramadan, you know, most blessed ten days of the year … it is a very concerning,’ Mr El-Hayek said.

He said the community was frightened as a new report from Islamophobia Register of Australia found Islamophobic attacks had doubled between January 2023 and November 2024.

“As we know now, that Islamophobia has been upped by more than 500 per cent since October 2023,” Mr El-Hayek said.

“So we’re very concerned for the local community, but we’re also concerned for the ladies that we’re the head scarfs as well because they’re an easy target.”

Women and girls made up 60 per cent of the physical attacks, and 79 per cent reported verbal assaults and spitting incidents.

According to the report, men were the most common perpetrators of these attacks against Muslim women and girls.

NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed on Thursday that NSW Police had launched an urgent investigation into the threat.

“Reports today of a threat towards a mosque in Western Sydney are truly disgusting,” he said.

“The NSW Police Force have launched an urgent investigation into this threat and those responsible will face the full force of the law.

“Every single person in our state deserves to be able to practice their faith free from threats and this racism and Islamophobia has absolutely no place in NSW.”

A NSW Police spokeswoman told NewsWire officers from the Campsie Police Area Command had begun an investigation into the online threat.

“As investigations continue, anyone with information is asked to call Campsie Police Area Command or Crime Stoppers,” the police said.

“It is important that the community and police continue to work together to make NSW a safer place for everyone.”

Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper called the comment “unconscionable and despicable”.

“I have been made aware of another threat on a major Muslim mosque during the holy time of Ramadan,” he said.

“To invoke the horrific tragedy of the Christchurch terror attack is unconscionable and despicable.

“We will continue to stand by our Muslim brothers and sisters. Let me be clear – Islamophobia has no place in our state.

“The NSW government and the NSW Police Force are taking this matter incredibly seriously.

“No matter your ethnicity, religion, or country of birth, we are all bound – first and foremost – by our common commitment to each other as Australians.”