Calls have been made for a crackdown on radicalisation in prisons after an extremist killer was able to preach hate from his cell.
MPs heard how Muslim taxi driver Tanveer Ahmed had been able to radicalise others from prison after he was jailed for 27 years for murdering Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah last year.
Ahmed drove from his home in Bradford to attack Mr Shah, a member of the Ahmadi community, who he believed had disrespected the prophet Mohammed in a series of online videos.
Labour’s Siobhain McDonagh, chairwoman of the all-party parliamentary group of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, said preventing radicalisation was a key factor in countering terrorism.
Speaking during Home Office questions, the Mitcham and Morden MP said: “You will be aware of the case of Tanveer Ahmed, who is in prison for murdering the peaceful Ahmadi shopkeeper Mr Asad Shah.
“Yet from his prison cell he is using the phone and letters to continue radicalising people against Ahmadi Muslims.
“Given the increase in anti-Ahmadi extremism, are you confident that you have enough Urdu speakers in the entry clearance section at the High Commission in Islamabad and here in London?”
The Shah family had moved to Scotland from Pakistan in the 1990s to escape persecution for their religious beliefs.
Ahmadis differ from other Muslims in their belief that Mohammed is not the final prophet, which many orthodox Muslims believe is blasphemous.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said tackling radicalisation was a key pillar of the Government’s counter extremism strategy.
Responding to Ms McDonagh, she said: “You raise a very important element of our counter terrorism and our counter extremism strategy, which is indeed about counter radicalism and I can reassure you that there is a lot of additional work going on in prisons to ensure that counter-radicalism takes place.
“The Justice Secretary has taken additional steps to work with people who are being radicalised or are the sources of radicalisation, and I hope that will yield positive results.”