Badenoch says objection to Ramadan event is about ‘norms of British culture’

Kemi Badenoch has insisted her party’s objection to a Ramadan event held in Trafalgar Square is not about “freedom of religion” but rather about fitting within the “norms of British culture”.

The Conservative Party leader has backed her shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, after he faced criticism for a tweet saying public Muslim prayer is an “act of domination and division”.

Sir Keir Starmer has called for Mr Timothy to be sacked, claiming the comments showed the Tories had a “problem with Muslims”, and the Prime Minister pressed Mrs Badenoch to “denounce” them.

Meanwhile, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, who attended the Open Iftar event on Monday, has branded the comments a “disgrace” to the Conservative Party, and a “megaphone dog whistle”.

Mrs Badenoch was asked at an event on Thursday to clarify whether her party took issue with gender segregation during prayers or Islamic public prayer in general, and responded that it was about both.

She said: “This is a country that believes in freedom of religion… this debate which Nick is having is not about freedom of religion, it’s about how religion is expressed in a shared public space and whether those expressions fit within the norms of British culture.”

Citing her upbringing in Nigeria, she said: “I, as a woman especially, and as a woman from an ethnic minority who grew up in a country where Islam was very visible, am very uncomfortable with seeing women pushed to the back in the middle of Trafalgar Square.”

She said it was “not about stopping anyone from any religion from practising their faith”.

“We want to see religious festivities in Trafalgar Square but they have to be inclusive and also respectful of British culture.”

She said this means sometimes saying “actually, no that’s probably too much”.

It came after Tory Party chairman told the Press Association the Open Iftar event was “the wrong thing to do”.

“We think it was the wrong thing to do. This was an exclusive event.

“This was ticket only in a central London location. This wasn’t a performance, it was a prayer.

“So… for those reasons, we think this is the wrong thing to do.

“That’s not to say for any second, for a second, that we don’t support moderate Muslims observing their faith in mosques up and down the country.”

He said it was “complete nonsense” to suggest his party had a problem with Muslims, as Sir Keir had on Wednesday.

Mr Timothy made the post on X on Tuesday, saying: “Mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination.”

He continued: “Perform these rituals in mosques if you wish. But they are not welcome in our public places and shared institutions.”

Approximately 3,000 people were expected to attend the event held by Ramadan Tent Project.

Similar religious gatherings have long taken place in the capital, such as Jewish celebrations of Chanukah and Christian Easter Sunday processions.

Sir Keir said the comments meant the Conservative Party had become aligned with Tommy Robinson after Mr Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had posted supportively of Mr Timothy’s comments.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir called for Mr Timothy to be sacked.

“I’ve never heard her party call out anything other than the Muslim events. It’s only when Muslims are praying. The only conclusion is the Tory Party has got a problem with Muslims,” he said.

A spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said Mr Timothy’s comments were based on footage showing segregated males praying at the event.

He said: “People are free to practise their faith but that practice does not require exclusionary use of our shared civic spaces.

“That is not about worship; it becomes something else which undermines social cohesion. So that is where we draw the line, and that is what Nick Timothy was talking about.”

Asked about other pictures showing women at the event, the spokesman said they were “outside the barriers”.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has echoed Mr Timothy’s comments, calling the event “a group of people, headed up by the ghastly Sadiq Khan, attempting dominance over our capital city and our culture”.

He told an audience in Thurrock, Essex: “We are not going to surrender everything that was built over centuries, defended at a cost of great blood in two world wars, for us to be a free and independent nation. We will not put up with this any more.”

In the Commons on Thursday, Commons Leader Sir Alan Campbell said: “Freedom of religion and the right to peaceful expression are fundamental British values, not the opposite. These rights should be respected for everyone, and it applies equally to peaceful prayer, protesting or assembly.”

He warned all parties “if you get into the gutter in these matters, the public will not forgive you”.