Anna Lo, the only Chinese-born parliamentarian in the UK, has decided to quit politics because of rising racism in Northern Ireland, chinanews.com reported.

Lo told BBC that she considered leaving the region because she no longer felt safe there.

Recently she was attacked by a mob in a Belfast shopping center. They verbally abused Lo while following her from the shopping center to the parking lot. After Lo got into her car, a young girl in another parked car cursed her through an open window.

Lo was also angered by the comments of Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson and Pastor James McConnell. McConnell denounced the Muslim religion as "heathen" and "satanic" a few weeks ago, and Robinson supported him saying he would not trust Muslims involved in violence or those devoted to Sharia law.

Lo's announcement has received much attention in Northern Ireland.

"Anna Lo's disturbing announcement and Pastor McConnell's Islamophobic remarks should be a wakeup call to those who care about NI's future," said Ivan Lewis, shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland via Twitter.

Lo moved to the UK from Hong Kong 40 years ago. An Alliance Party politician, she was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast South in 2007.

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