Loose Women’s Saira Khan hits back at trolls and insists she’s ‘not scared’ after bikini snap death threat
Saira says she is going to keep speaking out for moderate Muslim women and won't be deterred by extremists
SAIRA Khan has hit back at vile trolls who sent her death threats because of an Instagram post.
Saira, who is Muslim, was incensed to hear a preacher had said women of her religion should not pluck their eyebrows, posting a picture of her bottom in a bikini with the caption: "Kiss my a**."
The Loose Woman panellist says she is extremely grateful for the tidal wave of support she has had after standing up to the extremists.
Saira says she has been inundated with messages from other Muslims, thanking her for taking a stand.
But they often say they are afraid to say the things she does themselves for fear of repercussions.
However Saira says she would feel she was "part of the problem" if she did not use her position to speak out.
Saira added: "I have seen lots of things inflaming me about my religion, my culture, but I have never sent somebody a death threat because I can control myself.
"People are saying I'm fuelling Islamophobia. I am not fuelling Islamophobia.
"I am standing up for women who practise my religion, who are modern, who are progressive, who are actually quite scared to come out and say it because look at the response you get."
Saira has also had to tell extremist Muslim trolls she's "not evil" for posing in her bikini as part of the show's Body Stories campaign.
The panellist, 46, and her co-stars stripped down to their underwear for the tasteful campaign shot by Canadian rocker-come-photographer Bryan Adams to promote female body image.
She said: "I just felt really, really sad that all my colleagues were getting praised and I was getting all this abuse.
"I got lots of support from the Muslim community...but what hurt me was to say 'this is evil', that as Muslim I was evil.
"I just want to say to this person it's never too late to love yourself and love your body. I was brought up to be tolerant and supportive, that's what being a Muslim means to me."
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