By Jessica Hyland, ABC
Lakemba Mosque received a comment that referenced the Christchurch massacre. Photo: ABC News/Amal Wehbe
Police investigating a threat made to a mosque in Sydney's south-west have uncovered another threatening message directed at a mosque in a nearby suburb.
Lakemba Mosque said on Thursday in a Facebook post it had received a comment on its TikTok account that referenced the Christchurch terror attack, which resulted in 51 deaths in 2019.
NSW police confirmed it had begun investigating an online threat directed at the mosque.
South West Metropolitan Region commander assistant commissioner Brett McFadden told ABC Radio Sydney that during the investigation police came across another threat directed at a mosque in nearby Padstow.
"They both reference the tragedies in the terrorist incident in Christchurch in 2019," he said on Friday morning.
"The fact anyone is referencing that sort of horrific incident is something we're taking very seriously."
Police believe both threats are linked
Assistant commissioner McFadden said both threats were believed to be linked.
"We're treating them with a level of seriousness but also doing it in concert with each other," he said.
"The investigation is ongoing as we speak."
NSW police assistant commissioner Brett McFadden revealed another threat had been made to a mosque while speaking on ABC Radio Sydney. Photo: ABC News
Assistant commissioner McFadden said officers were working closely with the local Muslim community.
In a statement, NSW police confirmed officers from Bankstown Police Area Command were undertaking the investigation into the "online threat" made to the Padstow mosque on Thursday.
Prime minister and premier condemn online threat
The comments come less than three weeks after a 16-year-old from Western Australia was arrested for making a similar threatening reference to a mosque based in Sydney's south-west.
In a statement, NSW premier Chris Minns condemned the threat against the mosque in Lakemba and said Islamophobia had no place in the state.
"The NSW Police Force have launched an urgent investigation into this threat and those responsible will face the full force of the law," he said.
"Every single person in our state deserves to be able to practice their faith free from threats, and this racism and Islamophobia has absolutely no place in New South Wales."
In a statement regarding the online comment, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there was no place for racism and Islamophobia in Australia.
"I fully support the authorities as they investigate this incident and expect those responsible to face the full force of the law," he said.
- ABC
