LONDON – Four Muslim MPs in the British Parliament have been targeted withsimilar suspicious packages containing a mysterious sticky liquid and aletter calling for ‘Punish a Muslim Day’.

Bangladeshi-origin MPs Rushanara Ali and Rupa Huq and theirPakistani-origin colleagues Afzal Khan and Mohammad Yasin are the fourLabour party MPs to receive the same kind of package in their parliamentaryoffices within the Palace of Westminster over the last two days.

“It is worrying that these things are getting through security screeningbecause I know it’s very vigorously screened. Someone out there thinks itis open season on Muslims,” said Huq, who represents Ealing central andActon in south-west London.

One of her staff members who was hospitalised after coming in contact withthe package has since been released. On Monday, two staff members fromYasin’s office had also been briefly hospitalised as a precautionarymeasure.

A parliamentary spokesperson said on Tuesday that two items of mailcontaining suspicious substances were investigated by the MetropolitanPolice and were not found to be hazardous.

“The affected areas were temporarily cordoned off but no evacuation wasnecessary. One person attended hospital as a precaution,” the spokespersonsaid.

Scotland Yard confirmed that specialist officers had been sent to the sceneto assess the packages, which were deemed non-hazardous. AGENCIES