London, England - A backlash against British Muslims began almost immediately as news of the bomb explosions spread. The Muslim Council of Britain received more than 1,000 emails containing threats and messages of hate, several reading: "It's now war on Muslims throughout Britain."
Government planning for how to cope with a terrorist attack has included how police and the authorities will calm community tensions and crack down on any surge in hate crimes directed at British Muslims.
Last night an emergency meeting was held of the Muslim Safety Forum, where top police officers and representatives of Muslim communities meet to discuss the policing of terrorism and other issues.
Azad Ali, chair of the MSF, said: "This is the biggest test for community relations. The years of planning, of ifs and buts - now the time has come. Our concern is of the potential backlash. We have already received numerous reports of spitting, verbal abuse and attacks."
At the Finsbury Park mosque in north London, worshippers said passersby had shouted abuse and rattled the entrance gates in the hours after yesterday's bombings.
Within hours of the attacks police forces across the country were sent advice from the Association of Chief Police Officers on how to counter any backlash.
Forces are supposed to make contact with "vulnerable communities", in this case Muslims, and react quickly and robustly to incidents of hate crime.
There are two fundamental aims, to keep Muslims safe, then to ensure there is the maximum chance that those with information about the planning of the attacks have the confidence and trust in the police to come forward.
After the attack, a National Community Tensions Team swung into action, analysing intelligence on potential community rifts for the police and the government.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Beckley, who leads for the Association of Chief Police Officers on policing faith-based communities, said: "We will deal very robustly with any hate crimes as a result of the bombings.
"Our aim is to prevent a backlash, we've got to work hard to prevent tensions and deal robustly with any incidents that arise."
Some mosques are expected to have police guards today, which for Muslims is the most important day of the week for worship. Inayat Bunglawala of the Muslim Council of Britain said British Muslims needed to be on the lookout for any threats against them: "We urge them to exercise caution when going out. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks there were mindless attacks on Muslims."
In a statement the MCB said: "These evil deeds makes victims of us all. The evil people who planned and carried out these series of explosions in London want to demoralise us as a nation and divide us as a people.
"All of us must unite in helping the police to capture these murderers."
Far-right groups are also expected to come under renewed scrutiny in case they try to whip up tensions.
Shahid Malik MP, whose constituency of Dewsbury recorded the highest BNP vote in the country in May, warned: "What is inevitable is that the far right will attempt to use what we suspect took place to inflame discord and create hate. They will utilise this to the max.
"We have to stay cool and calm, and people who are potentially victims of verbal abuse, for instance, need to turn the other cheek."
Sadiq Khan, London's only Muslim MP, said: "It is unwise and foolish to speculate who may be responsible for this outrageous and savage attack. But it is important that no one suffers from any backlash.
'True teachings'
"The reality is that, when we see the victims, there could be people who are doubly victims, of the atrocity and potentially of a backlash. The kind of people who live in Aldgate East and Kings Cross include many of Muslim faith.
"We know from what happened after September 11 that there were incidents of reprisals against visible Muslims. Everyone needs to be vigilant to ensure that nothing like that happens this time. No one who follows the true teachings of Islam could condone these outrages."
He said the borough commander in his constituency, Tooting, had already deployed high-visibility policing around mosques and schools. Muslims arriving for afternoon prayers at mosques across the country expressed their outrage and sadness at yesterday's attacks, and said they feared the impact they would have on relations between them and the wider community.
A spokesman for Finsbury Park mosque said he understood people's frustrations but was quick to condemn those responsible for the attacks. "What happened today is very, very sad for everybody, Muslims and non-Muslims. I truly hope that whoever is responsible for these terrible actions is caught and given justice."
He said those responsible had nothing to do with Islam and called for all communities to pull together.
That sentiment was echoed by Anas Altikriti, spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain. "In the past three or four years, British people have proved that they are strong and resilient, and Muslims and non-Muslims have worked together to support each other. We must continue to do that in the face of what has happened today.
"The people responsible for these attacks are not true Muslims in any way and we have no hesitation in condemning absolutely these terrible actions."
He urged Muslims to help the emergency services and police in whatever way they could.
"We have faith in Britain and British people that we as a country will not be defeated by this."
Arriving at Finsbury Park mosque for afternoon prayers yesterday, members said they were stunned and saddened by the morning's events.
Mohamed Islam, 30, had witnessed the explosion at Tavistock Square. "I saw people lying in the road. It's very shocking just to think about it now. The people who did this are not people, never mind Muslims. They are not fighting for their faith or any other noble cause, they have killed and injured innocent people today and I am disgusted by that."
Standing in the rain outside the mosque, Ahmed Ka, 57, said the bombings were "truly awful". But he believed that relations between Muslims and non-Muslims would not be affected. "This is a strong multi-religious society and we are all involved in what has happened this morning. Muslims would have been caught up in it on the buses and trains, we must come together, not separate now."
But Ahmed Osman, 36, said he feared for the safety of his wife and children.
"There will be more suspicion aimed at us and I worry that it will not be safe for my wife or daughter to walk around by themselves. The people responsible should realise they have done nothing but made things harder for all true Muslims."
In the nearby Paradise cafe there was an air of tension and disbelief as the news of the attacks filtered through. Assas Aziz said that he had received a call from his parents in Algeria.
"They wanted to know that I was OK first, but they also said they felt very sad and sorry for what happened today. I think like me they are embarrassed as Muslims about what has happened because we are associated with these people.
"But this has nothing at all to do with Islam in any form. I do not understand what these people feel or think. All I know is that they are not following the teachings of the Qur'an and are not Muslims."