Four Muslim MPs have been targeted with similar suspicious packages containing a mysterious sticky liquid and a letter calling for 'Punish a Muslim Day'.
MPs Rushanara Ali and Rupa Huq and their colleagues Afzal Khan and Mohammad Yasin are the four Labour party MPs to receive the same kind of package in their parliamentary offices within the Palace of Westminster over the last two days.
"It is worrying that these things are getting through security screening because I know its very vigorously screened. Someone out there thinks it is open season on Muslims," said Huq, who represents Ealing Central and Acton in south-west London.
One of her staff members who was hospitalised after coming in contact with the package has since been released. On Monday, two staff members from Yasin's office had also been briefly hospitalised as a precautionary measure.
A parliamentary spokesperson said on Tuesday that two items of mail containing suspicious substances were investigated by the Metropolitan Police and were not found to be hazardous.
"The affected areas were temporarily cordoned off but no evacuation was necessary. One person attended hospital as a precaution," the spokesperson said.
Scotland Yard confirmed that specialist officers had been sent to the scene to assess the packages, which were deemed non-hazardous.
Parliament has emailed all staff, warning them to "be on the alert for suspicious items of mail".
Meanwhile, Britain's counter-terrorism officers continue to investigate after similar 'Punish a Muslim Day' letters were sent to a string of locations across the country.
The letter incites verbal abuse and assaults on Muslims, as well as attacks on mosques, declaring April 3 as 'Punish a Muslim Day'. It asks people to carry out violent acts including verbal abuse, removing a woman's hijab or head-scarf, physical assault and using acid as a weapon.
"The letter calling for attacks on Muslim is just the latest example of rising Islamaphobia and deplorable hate crimes in this country," said Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi, who raised an urgent question in the House of Commons yesterday calling on the UK government to do more to tackle such "incitement to violence and help prevent the growth of such extreme views".
In response to the urgent question on the letters, UK Home Office minister Victoria Atkins told MPs that the government condemns the content of the letters as "clearly abhorrent, with no place in decent society".
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)