Farage calls for ban on all mass outdoor religious observances

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called for all mass religious observances to be banned following objections to a Ramadan event in London’s Trafalgar Square.

He told party members at the Reform conference in Scotland that the Open Iftar on Monday – which was attended by London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan – was an “attempt to overtake, intimidate and dominate our way of life”.

Asked by the Press Association if he favours the banning of all mass religious observances, Farage said: “Yes.”

Further asked if that includes Jewish or Catholic observances, he added: “I’ve never seen Jewish services taking place in places of historic Christian worship, or anywhere else.

“We have to get this right. We can’t stop individuals from praying, we wouldn’t want to stop individuals praying, but mass prayer is banned, mass Muslim prayer is banned, in many Muslim countries in the Middle East itself.

“So yes, we have to stop this kind of mass demonstration, provocative demonstration, in historic British sites, because that’s what it is.”

He warned that type of mass observance was coming to Scotland “soon”, and he Reform would “stand firm for the Judeo Christian principles upon which our nation was built”.

The event has become a flashpoint in UK politics this week, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch backing her shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy after he described the Iftar as an “act of domination and division”.

At an event on Thursday, she said: “This is a country that believes in freedom of religion… this debate which Nick is having is not about freedom of religion, it’s about how religion is expressed in a shared public space and whether those expressions fit within the norms of British culture.”

Timothy made the post on X on Tuesday, saying: “Mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination.”

He continued: “Perform these rituals in mosques if you wish. But they are not welcome in our public places and shared institutions.”

In a further intervention, Alan Mendoza, who defected to Reform from the Tories to become Farage’s global affairs adviser, also slammed the “disgraceful attacks” Timothy ” from the Prime Minister down”.

He said the Tory shadow minister had “raised concerns about mass Islamic outdoor public prayer shows the scale of the disaster we face in the UK.”

Mendoza added:”Islamists have convinced many that a very uncommon act in this country – which public outdoor prayer is, regardless of who initiates it – is somehow Islamophobic to criticise. It isn’t.

“We have a very limited tradition of public outdoor prayer here, with religion customarily being seen as a private matter and confined to places of worship except on days of national significance (eg Remembrance Sunday).

“It is not remotely extreme to suggest that the Trafalgar Square incident serves the agenda of Islamists who see it as an essential part of their goal to change this country’s mores and behaviours to suit their agenda. And for the avoidance of any doubt, there is no issue with a religious celebration taking place in public (eg an iftar gathering).

“This is specifically about normalising the statutory prayers of a religion in the public space, which is a provocative practice that Nick has been right to call out.”

About 3,000 people attended the event held by Ramadan Tent Project.

Similar religious gatherings have long taken place in London, such as Jewish celebrations of Chanukah and Christian Easter Sunday processions.

Prime Minister SStarmer said it means the Conservative Party has become aligned with Tommy Robinson after Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had posted supportively of Mr Timothy’s comments.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir called for Mr Timothy to be sacked.

“I’ve never heard her party call out anything other than the Muslim events,” he said. “It’s only when Muslims are praying. The only conclusion is the Tory Party has got a problem with Muslims.”