We have had members of the public reporting in anti-Muslim comments on the back of the recent Iftar event that was held in Trafalgar Square and which garnered comments from current politicians and political pundits.
So let us look at the facts. The Iftar and end of Ramadan event in Trafalgar Square was pre-planned, lawful and in line with other events that were held to celebrate religious celebrations like Diwali and Vaisakhi. Whilst the form of celebration may have been different and involved prayer, nonetheless, the celebrations were generally in line with previous religious events around different faiths and cultures. The political furore over this event was over the call to prayer or ‘Adhan’ and people collectively praying.
In light of this, it is important to explain what the Adhan is. The Adhan or call to prayer is not a symbol of domination over other cultures. In the context of the Trafalgar Square event, it was simply to mark the prayer time for the celebrants in the square and this was followed by a mass prayer event. Some Muslims pray five times a day and these are marked by specific times in the day and the Adhan is a reminder that the time for prayer has come.
Prayer in Islam is seen as a communal act, an act of togetherness and where mass prayer is seen as a common activity rather than being associated with promoting a sense of domination over others. To suggest that those praying were seeking to push forward a dominance of Islam over others is to misread the context of this specific event and to project a view on all those who attended that simply does not reflect the reality of people simply wanting to pray together.
Furthermore, we are not naive to the fact that some Muslims seek to interpret and live a form of Islam that is far more brittle and non-accepting of other faiths. There are numerous examples of this and we will always challenge and stand against those who seek to divide and spread intolerance, irrespective of whatever faith they are from. In the context of the Trafalgar Square event, there was no evidence of any group being involved and this is important to stress. We within Tell MAMA are always led by the evidence and there was no evidence to indicate that such groups were involved.
Finally, this statement from Iman Atta OBE, the Director of Tell MAMA summarises our position on the furore around the Ramadan and Trafalgar Square event:
“We are deeply concerned at the political language and furore that has been whipped up against people simply praying in Trafalgar Square. The prayer was spontaneous and there were people simply celebrating the end of Ramadan. The Words have consequences and the dehumanising of Muslims simply praying is sickening. It needs to stop and be called out.”