EDINBURGH – A Sottish anti-racism group announced holding a protest event in Scotland’s capital Edinburgh on April 3 against “Punish a Muslim” day, as Muslims urge more support against the highly condemned Islamophobic event.

We are asking supporters to post positive messages to Muslims on social media throughout the day on Tuesday, April 3,” a spokeswoman of the Muslim Women’s Association, told The Daily Mail.

“The perpetrator of the hate letter is inciting hatred and violence and this act must be prosecuted as a hate crime.

“Sending poison pen letters has always been a very serious crime precisely because of the distress it causes, and the fact that the author is anonymous is disgusting cowardice,” she added.

She was speaking as the group encouraged people to participate in its “Love A Muslim Day” campaign on the same date.

“To counter the negative and distressing effect on Muslim friends in England receiving the hate letter we are focusing on bringing our communities together on Tuesday by inviting everyone to combat Islamophobia online using hashtags #NoToIslamophobia #RageAgainstRacism,” she said.

Among the participants who will address the protestors are the Scottish Trades Union Congress’s president Satnam Ner and Leith Labor councilor Gordon Munro.

The spokeswoman said: “We call on our political representatives to support anti-racist campaigns and make sure 2018 is the year we stamp out such bigotry.”

Along with Edinburgh, a Leicester group will be hosting a community event on April 3 in defiance of “Punish a Muslim” day letters.

Groups in Nottingham also announced they will be hosting a “Love A Muslim Day” event on the same day.

According to 2011 census, Muslims numbered 76,737 people comprising 1.4% of Scotland’s population. The first Muslim known to have been in the northwestern European country was an Indian medical student at the University of Edinburgh from 1858 to 1859.

Most Muslims in Scotland are members of families that immigrated in the later decades of the 20th century.