As the Federal government mails anti-terrorism packs to every Australian household, residents in some Sydney suburbs have already been letterboxed with anti-Muslim propaganda.

In one of the latest cases, residents of Bondi woke on a Sunday morning to find an unsigned leaflet condemning Muslims for sexual discrimination against women and for the alleged violent nature of Islam.

"It is obviously a deliberate attempt to raise concerns within the community about Islam and I deplore attempts to promote racial division in this way," says Peter King, Federal Member for Wentworth, which includes the Bondi area.

"It is notable that the person distributing this material did not have the courage to identify themselves," says King.

It is also notable that the flyer contains many inaccuracies or at least, distortions of the truth.

"Islam and Violence. This should not surprise anyone because Islam is based on Jihad (the Holy war) that commands Muslims to force people into Islam and if unsuccessful kill or exile them from their land," the unknown author says.

"The statement is out of context" says Keysar Trad, President of the Lebanese Muslim association of NSW, "Who-ever kills a person is condemned. Murder is always condemned in the strongest terms. Islam is a complex religion. It sets the ground rules for every situation, it gives you a limit. This statement relates to when you are being attacked and when you are being attacked you are allowed to defend yourself to a certain extent."

It should be noted that the same kinds of sentiments are found in the Christian Bible says Trad.

"Do not think that I have come to make peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother," said Jesus! [Math. 10:34]

If that isn’t enough then one needs only to take a historical perspective and think about the aims of the Christian crusades.

The leaflet also shows little knowledge of Islam and women according to Michael Humphrey an expert on the subject from UNSW.

The anonymous author claims that women are "denied their civil rights and the right to vote."

"The statement about voting is a distortion – are we talking about democracies or dictatorships? Sure examples can be given but what about Indonesia?" says Humphrey.

Unfortunately, there seems to be little legally that can be done about the proliferation of such material. Most of the pamphlets have been anonymous and even if they weren’t, there are few legal grounds for charges.

Under the Anti-Discrimination Act, one would first have to lodge a formal compliant and then prove that there was "intent" by the author to incite hatred towards a particular race.

Legal teams would also have to struggle with the definition of "race." Islam contains many different "races" and while the act does include "ethno-religious groups" it may not stretch as far as to include all Islamic groups.

"Australian law refuses to deal with discrimination against Islam because it does not recognise Muslims as a race. I would like the same protections for Islam as certain other faiths receive," says Trad.

According to the anti-Discrimination commission, it may be better not to give these leaflets any more publicity.

"Commenting on these types of pamphlets is always difficult" says Chris Puplick, President of the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW. "Certainly we find them offensive in their hysterical ignorance and pathetic disregard for the facts, but we are also very certain that we do not want to give them any kind of oxygen in responding to them publicly."

"I would urge anyone who is in receipt of this leaflet - or others like it - to put it where it belongs - that is, the nearest garbage bin," says Puplick

This is of course where it will soon find its place at my house.