A man accused of spreading letters encouraging “Punish a Muslim Day” has appeared in court after he was charged with soliciting murder.
David Parnham, 35, allegedly sent the notes to UK addresses and urged for coordinated attacks on Muslims. He faces 14 charges in all, committed over a period of two years, including staging a bomb hoax and five counts of sending threatening letters. Parnham was remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey on June 29th.
The letters detailed rewards based on how extreme the action taken was and called those who did not become involved “sheep.” It said white majority nations were being overrun by those who want “to do us harm and turn our democracies into Sharia led police state.”
Parnham was arrested on Tuesday as part of an intelligence operation and charged by counter-terrorism police yesterday evening, before appearing at Westminster magistrates court this morning.
The charges were welcomed by TellMAMA, an organisation that seeks to support ad protect Muslims in Britain. “The campaigns caused anger, dismay and fear within some sections of Muslim communities. In particular, many Muslim women approached us fearful of going about their everyday business… showing the community impacts of hate,” it added.
The letters were reportedly received in communities across England and Wales - including West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Leicestershire, London and Cardiff.
They listed a number of tasks telling people they can win points by committing increasingly serious offences against Muslims.
The letter read in part: "They have hurt you, they have made your loved ones suffer.
"They have caused you pain and heartache. What are you going to do about it?"
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After the letters were circulated, Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Snowden, head of the north-east counter-terrorism policing unit, said: “These letters seek to cause fear and offence among our Muslim communities.
“They also seek to divide us. Yet, in spite of this, our communities have shown strength in their response to such hatred and in their support for each other.
The offences are:
Soliciting to murder, contrary to section 4 Offences Against the Persons Act 1861
Bomb hoax, contrary to Section 51 Criminal Law Act 1977
Sending a number of letters promoting a ‘punish a Muslim’ day, encouraging one or more of offences believing that one or more of those offences will be committed and that his act will encourage the commission of one of more of them, contrary to section 46 Serious Crime Act 2007 (2 counts over varying time periods)
Sending a substance with the intention of inducing in a person a belief that it is likely to contain a noxious substance and thereby endanger human life or create a serious risk to human health, contrary to section 114 Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 ( 5 counts over varying time periods)
Sending a number of letters conveying a threat intending to cause the recipient of the letter distress or anxiety, contrary to section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1998 (5 counts over varying time periods)
