Muslim restauranteur sent abusive material in post

The Metro newspaper reports on a Muslim restauranteur from Newcastle who has been the victim of anti-Muslim abuse since the Brexit vote decision was announced on 24 June.

Shasiqul Islam who owns an Indian restaurant called The Bindi said that he had received copies of his takeaway menu defaced with anti-Muslim comments in the post. Menu cards bearing the words “Muslims are filth” and “Mohammed is a peedo” [sic], were posted to him.

He said that staff at his restaurant had also been abused with phone calls from people telling them to “go back to your own country”.

Mr Islam who was born and raised in the UK said “My heart just dropped when I read it. To write a thing like that and deliver it through my letter box, it is just so shocking.”

He told the paper, “I am a British person, everything I do is British. I am more British than anything else by far. I have five daughters, and as a parent I am worried. As a parent this isn’t the sort of world I want my girls to be growing up and going out into.”

Mr Islam said that the EU referendum has been a “trigger” to those who were now taking their frustrations out on others.

The paper notes Northumbria police are investigating an incident after the abusive mail sent to Mr Islam was reported to the police.

Detective Sergeant Phil Cleugh, of Northumbria Police, said: “We take all reports of race-related incidents very seriously.

“We very much encourage reporting of such incidents and do believe more people have the confidence to come forward to police.”