Simon I 📽️🎹⚽️☘️🇮🇪 MD ANT

Too many are too polite to say this. But mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination. The adhan - which declares there is no god but allah and Muhammad is his messenger - is, when called in a public place, a declaration of domination. Perform these rituals in mosques if you wish. But they are not welcome in our public places and shared institutions. And given their explicit repudiation of Christianity they certainly do not belong in our churches and cathedrals. I am not suggesting everybody at Trafalgar Square last night is an Islamist. But the domination of public places is straight from the Islamist playbook. Trafalgar Square belongs to all of us. It is a national memorial to our independence and our salvation. Last night was not like a televised football match or a St Patrick’s Day celebration. It was an act of domination and therefore division. It shouldn’t happen again.

After a month of fasting dawn to dusk - never has a flat white tasted so good. Eid Mubarak! ☕️

On Eid, one of the most important days in the Muslim calendar, access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem has been restricted by Israeli authorities, with many Palestinians prevented from entering and forced to pray outside. Reports also indicate restrictions affecting Christian worshippers, including access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City. Emerging reports this morning say Israeli forces confronted worshippers outside the Old City, with tear gas reportedly used against those gathered for prayer. These developments raise concerns that heightened security measures are further restricting freedom of worship and movement for Palestinians. I raised the situation at Al-Aqsa in Parliament yesterday, highlighting ongoing concerns about restrictions even following the ceasefire. The Israeli government should uphold international law, ensure freedom of worship, and engage in meaningful diplomacy to support a just and lasting peace.