A communal iftar in the heart of London has ignited a fierce political row in the United Kingdom. On March 16 afternoon, around 3,000 Muslims gathered at Trafalgar Square for the annual “Open Iftar”, an event held since 2019 to mark the breaking of the Ramadan fast. Hundreds of attendees, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan, joined the call to prayer, kneeling at Trafalgar Square. Khan hailed the gathering as a reflection of London’s inclusive ethos, saying the city “celebrates and champions our diversity”.
What began as a symbolic display of unity quickly spiralled into controversy. Conservative MP and UK’s shadow Justice Minister Nick Timothy triggered a political storm after posting a video of the prayer on X. In his post, Timothy described “mass ritual prayer in public spaces” as “an act of domination”. While clarifying he was not labelling participants as extremists, Timothy argued such displays were drawn from an “Islamist playbook” and “shouldn’t happen again”.
Timothy’s remark draws criticism
His remarks drew swift and polarised reactions across the political spectrum. During Prime Minister’s Questions in the Parliament, Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the comments and urged Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to remove Timothy from his position. He accused the party of harbouring “a problem with Muslims”. Badenoch, however, defended Timothy, framing his intervention as a stand for “British values”.
Senior Labour figures backed the criticism. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy accused Timothy of “fanning the flames of division”. Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell called the backlash an “extreme reaction”, arguing that interfaith coexistence represents the “real Britain”.
Mayor Sadiq Khan also pushed back, sharing images of multi-faith celebrations at the iconic square and reiterating that “London is, and will always be, a place for everyone”.
Too many are too polite to say this.
— Nick Timothy MP (@NJ_Timothy) March 17, 2026
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… pic.twitter.com/PIfJAgb7Zk
UK political class remains divided on the remarks
Apart from Badenoch, Timothy found strong backing within Conservative ranks. Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake publicly supported him, while shadow transport secretary Richard Holden suggested that mass religious gatherings in public spaces could, “in certain circumstances”, be perceived as acts of dominance regardless of faith.
Reform UK MP Nigel Farage added another layer to the debate, questioning whether similar religious practices would be tolerated in historically Christian settings.
Is religion private or public? Britons respond
The controversy has also reopened a broader societal debate about the place of religion in public life. While older polling (from 2012) suggested a majority of Britons preferred religion to remain private, more recent surveys indicate a near-even split on whether faith has a positive role in public spaces and workplaces.
Public attitudes toward religion in Britain have shifted from near-consensus to a near deadlock. A 2012 YouGov poll showed a clear majority (67%) believed faith should remain a private affair, kept out of public life. Fast forward to 2024, that clarity has blurred. A survey by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life revealed a country almost evenly split, with 42% viewing religion in the workplace positively and 41% taking the opposite view.