Muslim communities in the UK have been urged to remain vigilant following a rise in anti-Islamic sentiment.
Letters have been circulating in the UK calling for a day of attacks against Muslims, forcing counter terror units to remain on alert.
The government has said it takes Islamophobia extremely seriously but a growing number of voices say hate crime legislation needs to be tightened for progress to be made.
Afzal Khan is among four Muslim members of parliament in the UK to have received suspect parcels, some containing the threatening letters.
“It does create fear. I worry about not only myself but I worry about my staff and I worry about the public. There are many Muslims who have received these letters in different major cities,” he says.
“I think the government needs to be more serious … how come we still do not have a proper definition of what Islamophobia is and how come we have got incitement to religious hate? Only one person has been charged since 2006. Clearly that is not strong enough.”
TRT World‘s Yasmin Khatun Dewan