Hate letters sent to 4 Muslim MPs

FOUR Muslim MPs have been sent suspicious packages and copies of a ‘Punish a Muslim’ letter in the past 48 hours.

Police said the parcels sent to Westminster contained a ‘low-level noxious’ substance and letters advocating violence.

Rupa Huq, the Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, is the latest MP to receive the letter, which was condemned across the House.

Fellow Labour MPs Rushanara Ali, for Bethnal Green and Bow, and Mohammad Yasin, for Bedford, were also sent the packages.

A fourth was sent to the Labour Manchester Gorton MP, Afzal Khan, but was not opened.

A member of Miss Huq’s staff has been taken to hospital as a precaution after opening the letter yesterday, which the MP said contained a ‘sticky substance’ that police had described as ‘low-level noxious’.

On Monday two other people were taken to hospital, also as a precaution, when a package leaking a suspicious liquid was sent to Mr Yasin’s office. It deemed ‘not to be hazardous to health’. Police are investigating the letter, copies of which have been distributed across the country. It lists violent acts, including bombings, alongside the number of ‘points’ for performing them.

Miss Huq said she had been assured that the substance was not harmful. ‘It is horrible though, it’s really very frightening,’ she told the Guardian. ‘It is to put the frighteners on us but we won’t be cowed.

‘I’m sure I won’t be the last and I’m sure this is part of a pattern of targeting Muslim MPs.’

The news came after Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi asked an urgent question in the Commons about the letter on Monday. Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said the Government had brought in plans to tackle hate crime and protect places of worship.

A parliamentary spokesman confirmed four packages had been sent to Westminster’s Norman Shaw north building in recent days and said police were investigating.