Anti-Muslim slurs scrolled on letters to Arabs

Israeli-Arab citizens across Israel have been receiving lately letters containing slurs against the Prophet Muhammad. The recipients believe that an employee of the Israel Postal Company is behind the acts.

The letters, usually formal correspondence from bodies such as banks or HMOs, were sent to residents in Lod, Umm al-Fahm and Qalqilya who consequently lodged complaints with the police.

In one of the cases, Umm al-Fahm resident Saeb Mahmid received a letter from a large Israeli bank bearing the inscription "Muhammad equals terror." Mahmid initially suspected that one of the bank's workers was responsible for the message, but a bank spokesman rejected the claim and strongly condemned "any such remark."

In a separate incident, a Lod resident called Abu Ghanem received a letter from one of the HMOs that also contained an offensive message. "We opened the envelope and were surprised to discover at the bottom of the page the inscription 'Muhammad the homosexual'," he said.

Abu Ghanem reported the incident to the local post office, and was told that an inquiry will be launched into the matter.

Another letter sent to Zuheir Shuhana, a Jaljulya City Council member, bore the caption, "All Muslims are terrorists, Muhammad was gay."

'Handwriting on all letters identical'

Shuhana is convinced that a Postal Company employee was behind the act. "You don't have to be a graphologist to notice that the handwriting (on all the letters) is identical. This amounts to racism and severe incitement, and I expect the postal company to resolve this worrying issue," he stated.

The Israel Postal Company said in response that all mail articles received from large organizations and companies are automatically and mechanically processed and distributed to post offices across Israel.

"No Israel Postal Company employee can touch, alter or open these letters," the company said in a statement.