Tariq Modood

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.

If you want to know what Nelson thought of Muslims, you may want to factor in Nelson's column. See that thing on his hat? It is a 'chelengk'. Nelson was the first non-Muslim to be awarded one - as thanks for his victory in the Battle of the Nile. It was gifted to him by Sultan Selim III, who was literally the Caliph at the time. Nelson was so proud of it, as well as wearing it on his hat, he added it to his coat of arms. It is now the literal highest point of Nelson's column - a gift from the leader of the Muslim world to a devout Christian.

" I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."