Loose Women star Saira Khan received a death threat after she criticised a Muslim preacher on Instagram.
The television presenter, 47, who is Muslim, notified police after an anonymous user left an expletive-ridden comment that read: ‘If you value your life keep the f*** out of Islam.’
It came in response to the post Ms Khan wrote branding a female Muslim preacher a ‘backwards prehistoric dinosaur’ after she decreed it was sinful for Muslim women to pluck their eyebrows during a recent YouTube sermon.
Saira Khan notified the Metropolitan Police Twitter account of a death threat she received
One anonymous user, posting under the account ‘silverbengle’, wrote an expletive-ridden comment criticising the Muslim mother of two
Taking a stand: The mother-of-two shared this bikini picture alongside a caption criticising a conservative Muslim preacher who decreed that it is a ‘sin’ for women to pluck their eyebrows
Ms Khan, who has previously called out social media trolls who have criticised her religion, shared the message alongside an image of herself sunbathing on holiday. The provocative caption suggested the preacher should ‘kiss’ her bottom.
Dozens of users praised Saira for speaking out against the conservative preacher.
One wrote: ‘Best response I’ve seen in a while @iamsairakhan to something so silly.’ Another posted: ‘Well said Saira, I love how you speak up for what you believe in on something like you say is so prehistoric.’
However others criticised Saira’s attack, including anonymous user ‘silverbengle’, who wrote the threatening post.
The comment, which has since been removed, read: ‘Keep your f****** mouth shut! Your not a Muslim nor do you represent anything to do with Islam!!! Your white masters have given ou what you desire as a sell out reporter!!! If you value your life keep the f*** out of Islam [sic].’
Ms Khan, a mother of two, shared the comment on Twitter, tagging the official Metropolitan Police account with a message urging officers to ‘check it out’.
The Twitter post received supportive messages from followers, with one writing: ‘Disgusting. I hope this is followed through Saira. Don’t let it get to you’.
Another added: ‘Words fail me…you shouldn’t have to receive and deal with this stuff…awful.’
It is not the first time Ms Khan has hit back at vicious online trolls. In May the star publicly called out a Muslim man who criticised her for baring her body in a candid shoot alongside her fellow Loose Women panellists.
Ms Khan, pictured on Loose Women, has previously spoken out against social media trolls
In an impassioned online posted she told the troll to ‘go and do one’ and dubbing him a ‘narrow minded, misogynistic, brainwashed, backward idiot’.
The most recent example comes just days after Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), called for a surge in prosecutions against anyone suspected of committing ‘hate crime’ on social media.
She said wanted to see online abuse taken as seriously as assault or daubing vile graffiti on people’s houses.
There have been several high-profile instances of successful prosecutions of people who had abused lawmakers and other public figures online.
MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.
Taking a stand: How Saira uses social media to shame online trolls
This is not the first time Ms Khan has hit back at vicious online trolls.
In May the star publicly called out a Muslim man who criticised her for baring her body in a candid shoot alongside her fellow Loose Women panellists.
Social media user Bilal Ali said that as a Muslim he was ‘disgraced’ to see the image. In a lengthy post, he told her she was not a role model and it was his ‘duty as a brother’ to tell her.
Saira posted his comment in full with a very heated response, telling the man to ‘go and do one’
Saira posted his comment in full with a very heated response, telling the man to ‘go and do one’ and dubbing him a ‘narrow minded, misogynistic, brainwashed, backward idiot’.
She added that it was her choice to take part in the shoot and ‘if Allah doesn’t like it – let him deal with me.’
She concluded the post: ‘If a woman in a bikini offends your version of Islam – then seriously you should not be looking in the first place.’