A mosque in the Irish city of Limerick received verses of the Quran wrapped in slices of bacon through the post in the aftermath of the London Bridge attack.
The Imam of the mosque, who did not want to disclose the location of the centre due to the safety of worshippers, also confirmed that the number of threats made has not been shared with the congregation.
He told the Limerick Leader that they fear further backlash against the Muslim community because other mosques have experienced acts of vandalism in Limerick and neighbouring Galway.
The mosque which received the verses of the Quran wrapped in bacon also received several “very offensive items” sent in the post, including images of the Prophet Mohammad in with a bomb in his turban.
The Imam chose not to report these incidents to the gardai (Irish police), and confirmed that they were not committed in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack.
Director of Doras Luimni, Leonie Kerins, which supports all migrants in the Mid-West, has been made aware of numerous Islamophobic incidents in Limerick which have been reported to the gardai.
Ms Kerins said: “Now is a time for solidarity – not scapegoating, and we would appeal to people to be reasonable and recognise that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful people.
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“If anyone is suffering any kind of abuse or discrimination, we would urge them to report it to the gardai, or to contact us.”
Limerick’s Muslim population is increasing in line with national trends, with the number of Muslims in Ireland numbering 63,000 according to the 2016 Irish census report.
