Sir Keir Starmer has demanded that Kemi Badenoch dismiss her shadow justice secretary following his “completely unacceptable” remarks about Muslims praying.
Conservative MP Nick Timothy drew criticism for sharing a video of individuals, including London mayor Sadiq Khan, engaged in prayer at Trafalgar Square, London. Timothy asserted that public mass prayer was a form of assertion of power.
Various religious observances have historically occurred at Trafalgar Square, such as the Jewish festival of Chanukah and Easter Sunday processions.
The online community strongly condemned Timothy’s post. During a heated exchange at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir stated that if Timothy were on his team, he would have fired him for spreading divisiveness and hostility.
Addressing Badenoch, Sir Keir remarked, “She appointed the shadow justice secretary. He stated yesterday that Muslims, including the mayor of London, engaging in public prayer are unwelcome.”
“He characterized this as a display of dominance directly from the Islamist playbook. If he were part of my team, he would be dismissed. It is utterly shocking. She must disavow his comments and terminate his position.”
After the Tory leader defended Timothy as upholding British values, the PM retorted, “So her stance is that the shadow justice secretary is upholding British values by suggesting that Muslims praying together in Trafalgar Square are not welcome.”
“Even Tommy Robinson, surprising as it may be, mentioned today that if the shadow justice secretary had made these hateful remarks two years ago, the Conservative Party would have expelled him. Robinson is not a moral authority, but he highlighted the significant shift within their party.”
“They are more aligned with his perspectives, and he is correct in that assessment. The fact that he holds a position on her frontbench indicates her weakness and lack of judgment.”
Sir Keir emphasized, “Observing religious events in Trafalgar Square, be it Hindus celebrating Diwali, Jews commemorating Chanukah, Christians enacting the Passion of the Christ, or Muslims praying, showcases the robust diversity of our city and nation.”
“I have never heard her party condemn anything besides Muslim events. It appears that the Tory Party has an issue with Muslims.”
He continued, “The refusal to condemn and oust the shadow justice secretary for spreading division and animosity is proving to be a challenging month for the Opposition leader, who asserts she never makes mistakes.”
In a post on X on Tuesday night, Timothy wrote, “Many are hesitant to acknowledge this, but public mass prayer is an assertion of dominance. The call to prayer, which proclaims there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger, when announced in a public space, signifies domination. Perform these rituals in mosques if desired, but they are unwelcome in our public spaces and shared institutions.”
He added, “I am not suggesting everyone at Trafalgar Square last night is an Islamist. However, the dominance of public spaces is reminiscent of the Islamist playbook.”
Timothy reiterated his stance on Wednesday, stating, “The intentional misinterpretation in this post speaks volumes about those behind the ‘Islamophobia’ definition.” He accused No10 of instructing Labour MPs to criticize his statements.
