Souad Sbai spent years in Italy defending battered women in the Moroccan immigrant community before the death threats started coming. Now that she's a member of Parliament, she wonders if they'll ever stop.

So far three men, originally from North Africa, face trial accused of making death threats against her. But Ms Sbai, a 48-year-old from a Moroccan family, is still receiving threatening phone calls and emails. The last note in March said she would go to hell.

"They threaten me, they scream. They make fatwas," said Ms Sbai, who was elected to Parliament last year as part of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's conservative coalition.

Ms Sbai has lived in Italy for 30 years and is the head of the Association of Moroccan Women in Italy, which campaigns for women's rights and gives legal advice to victims of abuse. More than one million Muslim immigrants live in Italy, mostly from North Africa.

Since entering politics, the threats have increased dramatically, she says, blaming radical imams who she believes are telling their followers, wrongly, that she insults Islam.

But Ms Sbai, who describes herself as a moderate who favours dialogue between religions, has taken public stands that could put her at odds with some members of Italy's Muslim community.

She made headlines in January for criticising Muslims who staged an outdoor prayer during a protest march against Israel's war in Gaza. She also has opposed the use of veils and burkas.

In one of the threatening messages, Ms Sbai was accused of being an opportunist who used immigrant women to advance her career and was criticised for not covering her face in public.

"The woman who does not cover her head will be hung by her hair... Allah will punish you for the evil you have done to people," the message read.