Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said he would move to ban mass Muslim prayer at historic British sites across the United Kingdom.
Monday’s open iftar, the evening meal to break the traditional Ramadan fast, has been the subject of political debate in recent days, with Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticising a Conservative MP for opposing the event.
Farage described the gathering as a “provocative demonstration,” claiming it represented “an attempt to overtake, intimidate and dominate our way of life.” He said: “We have to stop this kind of mass demonstration in historic British sites, because that’s what it is.”
Reform MP Danny Kruger backed Farage’s position, tweeting:
Asked whether the proposal would apply more broadly, Farage confirmed he would support a ban on mass religious observances in such locations.
At the same time, he stressed that individual prayer would remain protected, stating: “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.”
The debate has divided political figures. Conservative justice spokesperson Nick Timothy criticised public prayer events, saying they should not take place in shared national spaces. London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is Muslim and attended the prayer service, called Timothy’s comments a “disgrace” to the Conservative Party, and a “megaphone dog whistle.”
