Apparently one of the spats at this week’s PMQs concerned a shadow Justice Secretary, Nick Timothy who reacted to a public Iftar meal attended by Sadiq Khan and hosted at Trafalgar Square, Timothy argued that the public, Islamic call to prayer, the Adhan, taking place in a public square was an act of domination because it declares that there is one God, Allah and his prophet is Mohammed. Timothy argued that prayers should take place in mosques, not in public spaces.
The Prime Minister used this to claim that the Conservatives have “a Muslim problem” and Timothy should be sacked. The question then is what should Timothy be sacked for? Is it for suggesting that the event was an act of domination. The problem is that when a large group of people are in a city square declaring that their God is the only true God and their religion the only way, then that does kind of look like domination doesn’t it. And indeed, many Muslims would have no trouble with acknowledging that they want to see the UK become a Muslim country.
Furthermore, the Government with its laws has also kind of indicated that it agrees with the view that acts of worship are political acts, acts of dominion or domination. That’s why they preachers, worshippers and silent prayers are being arrested if they get too close to abortion clinics.
And I say this, not because Muslims are somehow different in that respect. Well, maybe different to religions that are non-proselyting and non-monotheistic. There is something about Christian public acts of witness that is intended to declare the dominion and Lordship of Jesus Christ. That’s true of those Good Friday walks of witness, of street preachers and of those Graham Kendrick March for Jesus jamborees in the 1980s. Indeed, for some Christians those marches and walks were intended to take territories back from demons.
Was it then for the action that Timothy proposed? Should different religious groups be permitted to take over parts of the country to exercise dominion? Well, in one sense Timothy is again surely right, or at least making a legitimate point. It is consistent both with Christian Nationalism and secular liberalism to argue that those religious creeds that oppose the agreed national creed should not be allowed to put on public displays of dominion. Christian Nationalists would argue that only Christians should be allowed to. Consistent secularists should argue that no religion can put on such public displays and I suspect there would be a few who would. These events should be replaced with secular ones, maybe a Jeremy Corbyn rally or the like. Indeed, the Stop the War marches just like the poll tax demos and whilst we are at it, the Unite The Kingdom rally were all attempts to exercise power and influence, to use populist pressure to achieve control or dominion.
There’s one slight problem with Timothy’s argument. He is okay with mosques being used but these, just like Christian places of worship in the past are intended also to project power. Again that’s why consistent secularists and consistent Christian Nationalists might want to control where and when or even if religious buildings are erected.
I understand Starmer to be a secularist and therefore, he hasn’t really got a basis for attacking the Tories and Nick Timothy. I suspect this was more of a not so subtle dog whistle attempt to stave of the coming nightmare of voters turning to the Greens, New Party and various independents in coming local elections.
Now, here’s the surprising thing. Though when you remember that I’m neither a secularist nor a Christian Nationalist. I don’t think that Iftars like this should be banned. It shouldn’t be surprising because our recent foray into reformation history showed us that in a Christian state it’s not just other faiths that are going to get banned but Christian minority groups and dissenters too. Similarly, we know that it will be Christians as well as Muslims who will come under scrutiny and censorship if consistent secularism took off.
So, I tend to go with the line that we do best when we expect others to receive the same freedoms and tolerance that we do. I want to be free to preach on Good Friday with a Hot Cross bun in my hand or for a few churches to get together and wave colourful banners as they assemble outside the Bull Ring. Furthermore, if Allah alone truly is God, then resistance seems kind of futile. And if Christ truly is Lord of all, then we have nothing to fear because he is the one who will exercise true dominion.
Faithroots 