Racist Crime In US: Lexington Mosque Receives Bomb Threat Letter From England Amid Similar Anti-Islam Threats

A mosque in Lexington, Kentucky, is beefing up security measures after it received a handwritten letter Saturday from England, which contained a green index card wrapped in a blank sheet of paper, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a Facebook post Monday. The card read, "An explosive device will be placed at your mosque very soon!”

About 20,000 Muslims live in Kentucky, of whom 6,000 reside in Lexington city.

Several mosques in Atlanta, Georgia, also received bomb threats in the past few weeks. The Georgia chapter of CAIR sent an alert to all leaders of mosques in the state urging them to improve security, according to a press release Sunday by CAIR.

"We hope that state and federal law enforcement authorities will identify and arrest the criminals threatening violence against Georgia mosques," Edward Ahmed Mitchell, executive director of CAIR-Georgia, said in the statement. "While the perpetrators are being sought, mosque leaders should do all they can to protect their houses of worship by working with local law enforcement authorities, installing security cameras and employing security officers during the daily prayers."

Amid growing safety concerns for the Muslim community, the Facebook post by CAIR also talked about its report on "Islamophobia" in the U.S, which is set to be published soon. Last year likely saw the most number of violent incidents related to bias against mosques across the country, Al Jazeera reported.

CAIR, which urged the Muslim community and institutions to take preventive measures, is also offering free copies of its booklet, "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety."

A total of 55 anti-mosque incidents were recorded as of mid-September in 2016, according to a report by CAIR. And in 2015, a total of 79 anti-mosque cases were reported.

"This trend of increasing violence targeting the American Muslim community is deeply troubling," CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in last year's report. "It is important for presidential candidates and other public figures to unify Americans against hate. Any American should be able to freely practice his or her religion without fear of harm or intimidation."