There is growing outrage over inflammatory anti-Muslim blog posts and a petition which make baseless allegations about Islamic immigrants being responsible for crucifying animals in Mosta. The provocative posts have been widely shared locally, prompting many Maltese to angrily dispute the claims online.

No one has been arrested over the series of gruesome crucifixions of cats and dogs in Mosta, dating back to 2011.

Notes found on the animals have linked the grisly crucifixions to an 83-year-old man who had shot dead his sister in 1999 following an argument over burnt toast. However, no arrests have been made.

Out of the blue, an anti-Muslim blog, supposedly operating from New York, has published several articles alleging that Islamic migrants from Africa are responsible. Other anti-Muslim blogs have since made similar posts.

Despite the fact that local authorities have never once indicated that this is a line of inquiry they are following, the blog posts have been widely circulated by Maltese Facebook users in anti-immigrant groups and pages.

Its widespread dissemination reflects an alarming degree of ignorance

The Facebook page VivaMalta, a mouthpiece for the far-right Imperium Europa, posted a link to one of the blogs and suggested that the police use racial profiling to catch the perpetrator. VivaMalta has since deleted this post.

Meanwhile, an online petition to ‘Condemn Muslims that crucified dog and cat to a cross in Malta’ had been signed by more than 6,500 people up to yesterday.

The petition, which falsely states that the police believe Muslims are responsible, was started by someone who claims to be an American named Carmen Martinez.

It is addressed to Magistrate Carol Peralta – who is leading a magisterial inquiry into the crucifixion of a cat and dog on February 4 – and Superintendent Martin Sammut, who led the patrol last week that made the grisly find. The vast majority of the signatories are based overseas.

Several Maltese have written underneath the petition to warn signatories that it is a malicious hoax, including Christine Xuereb and Robert Callus.

“It is obvious that those who started this petition are haters of Islam and Muslims altogether,” Ms Xuereb told Times of Malta. “Their aim is to spread hate and, unfortunately, many followers of the petition are incapable of finding out the truth for themselves. I tried reporting the petition but there does not seem to be a way,” she added.

Mr Callus was concerned that some of the comments below the blog posts called for violence against Muslims.

“On the other hand, many comments by concerned Maltese people trying explain the truth about the animal killings were either removed or ridiculed by the site’s administrator,” he said.

Anti-discrimination NGO Integra also condemned the blog which started the furore.

“The contents of the article is replete with fabrications, blatant lies and derogatory stereotypes of ‘Muslims’, ‘Africans’, ‘refugees’ and the ‘Maltese’,” Integra director Maria Pisani said.

“The blog post is as ridiculous as it is dangerous. Its widespread dissemination reflects an alarming degree of ignorance,” she added.

The police declined to comment on its ongoing investigation into the animal crucifixions.