Revd Canon Fr Phil Harris† 🇬🇧🇮🇱🇺🇸

Another UK Christian pastor arrested for preaching the gospel on the street while thousands of Muslims take over Trafalgar Square any time they please to pray.

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.

The Adhān is not just a call to prayer; it’s a declaration of spiritual authority over the space where it is proclaimed. In Islamic tradition, the public recitation of the Adhān signals that the area is under Islamic rule. It’s a proclamation of God’s greatness and the call to submit to His will as revealed in Islam. From a theological and cultural perspective, this act is seen as a form of spiritual marking or staking a claim. It’s about establishing an Islamic presence and inviting the community to align under that spiritual authority. This makes the Adhān not just a call to individual devotion but a public declaration of faith that can be seen as transforming the environment into a place of Islamic worship and identity. Understanding this dynamic is crucial, especially when considering interfaith interactions or the impact of such public religious expressions in diverse communities. Let me remind you of the words, Prime Minister: “Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is no god but Allah I bear witness that there is no god but Allah I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah Come to prayer, come to prayer Come to success, come to success Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest There is no god but Allah” Islam gives NO SPACE for other faiths. This is the beginning of the subjugation, and the mayor knows exactly what he is doing.

The Adhān is not just a call to prayer; it’s a declaration of spiritual authority over the space where it is proclaimed. In Islamic tradition, the public recitation of the Adhān signals that the area is under Islamic rule. It’s a proclamation of God’s greatness and the call to submit to His will as revealed in Islam. From a theological and cultural perspective, this act is seen as a form of spiritual marking or staking a claim. It’s about establishing an Islamic presence and inviting the community to align under that spiritual authority. This makes the Adhān not just a call to individual devotion but a public declaration of faith that can be seen as transforming the environment into a place of Islamic worship and identity. Understanding this dynamic is crucial, especially when considering interfaith interactions or the impact of such public religious expressions in diverse communities. Let me remind you of the words, Prime Minister: “Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest I bear witness that there is no god but Allah I bear witness that there is no god but Allah I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah Come to prayer, come to prayer Come to success, come to success Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest There is no god but Allah” Islam gives NO SPACE for other faiths. This is the beginning of the subjugation, and the mayor knows exactly what he is doing.