Catholic activists have complained of \u201cpersecution\u201d and \u201ca clear bias against Christianity\u201d in a controversy over public prayer in the U.K. following a recent outdoor Islamic prayer service in London.<\/p>\n
When thousands of Muslims took part in a prayer service in London\u2019s\u00a0Trafalgar Square in March to mark Iftar, the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, the event was hosted by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. It was also welcomed by political leaders, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighting the Trafalgar Square event as an example of \u201cthe great strength of our diverse city and country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Starmer added that he would sack anyone from his \u201cteam\u201d who said \u201cMuslims praying in public \u2026 are not welcome.\u201d Defending the event against outside criticism, Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Stella Creasy said: \u201cMuslims should be as free as Christians, Sikhs, and Jews to celebrate their faith in Trafalgar Square.\u201d<\/p>\n
Criticizing the response to the event, Paul Sapper, ADF International communications officer, told EWTN News: \u201cThere is a two-tier bias in how many in our political class view public prayer and freedom of religion. Mass Islamic prayer is defended and celebrated as characteristic of \u2018our tolerant and diverse country,\u2019 while the silent prayer of solitary Christians is criminalized.\u201d<\/p>\n Many Catholics have taken particular issue with the comments made by Creasy, the pro-abortion MP who was responsible for pushing a law that banned silent prayer outside abortion facilities. Under Section 9(1)(a) of the Public Order Act, which became law in October 2024, \u201cinfluencing\u201d any person wishing to access an abortion facility became illegal, leaving pro-life activists concerned that silent prayer would be considered a crime.<\/p>\n These concerns were realized when British army veteran Adam Smith-Connor was found guilty of breaching a local buffer zone in October 2024 by praying silently outside an abortion clinic and given a fine of almost $12,000. This was followed, in December 2025, by police charging Catholic campaigner Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, 48, from Worcestershire, for silently praying in an abortion clinic \u201cbuffer zone\u201d under the Public Order Act 2023. The date for her trial\u00a0has been set for October.<\/p>\n Sapper complained that the celebration by \u201cthe political establishment\u201d of \u201cmass Islamic prayer\u201d while supporting buffer zones \u201cshows a clear bias against Christianity,\u201d adding: \u201cThe undeniable reality is that \u2018buffer zone\u2019 legislation is being used in this country to ban silent Christian prayer in what is the most egregious example of censorship in Britain today. \u2018Buffer zones\u2019 are used to censor not only speech but also people\u2019s most intimate thoughts, as the examples of Adam and Isabel show. This is real-life thought-crime.\u201d<\/p>\n ADF International is a Christian legal advocacy organization that defends fundamental freedoms. ADF has legally supported Vaughan-Spruce and Smith-Connor as victims of \u2018buffer zone\u2019 censorship, with Sapper describing them as \u201cpeaceful Christians who merely silently prayed in a public space, as is their lawful right in a free country.\u201d<\/p>\n Highlighting Creasy\u2019s role in particular, Sapper added: \u201cStella Creasy introduced Section 9 of the Public Order Act (POA) 2023, which introduced \u2018buffer zones\u2019 around all abortion facilities in England and Wales. Creasy also voted against a specific amendment to POA 2023 which would have made it clear that silent prayer is not a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cADF International and many others warned that this would lead to the criminalization of silent prayer, and we sadly have been proved right. If anyone supports the criminalization of silent prayer and pretends to care about freedom of religion, they simply should not be believed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Backing Sapper\u2019s point, Vaughan-Spruce complained of the praise given to the Islamic event. She told EWTN News: \u201cPoliticians suddenly seem to be lining up to defend the right to pray in public \u2014 but only when it\u2019s Muslims doing the praying. I\u2019ve been charged three times in connection with my silent prayers, arrested twice, and am now facing court again. Where are those same voices when it comes to defending my rights as a Christian?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe were told that buffer zones were needed to prevent harassment and intimidation, yet the only people being charged under this law are peaceful, prayerful Christians.\u201d<\/p>\n Responding to Creasy\u2019s comment that \u201cbuffer zones don\u2019t ban prayer,\u201d Vaughan-Spruce said: \u201cIf Ms. Creasy truly believes buffer zones don\u2019t ban prayer, then why has she been silent throughout my ordeal? I face court again for doing nothing more than silently praying on a public street. I would welcome support from Ms. Creasy if, true to her word, she believes buffer zones don\u2019t ban prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking to the future, Vaughan-Spruce urged Catholics \u201cto recognize the rights we do have and use them,\u201d adding: \u201cSo often it\u2019s our own fear or complacency which limits us. God himself tells us in Joshua 1:9: \u2018Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Catholic activists have complained of \u201cpersecution\u201d and \u201ca clear bias against Christianity\u201d in a controversy over public prayer in the U.K. following a recent outdoor Islamic prayer service in London. When thousands of Muslims took part in a prayer service in London\u2019s\u00a0Trafalgar Square in March to mark Iftar, the meal that breaks the Ramadan fast, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":44177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"bron":[41],"class_list":["post-44176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nieuws","bron-cna"],"acf":[],"featured_image_urls":{"medium":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/44176-catholics-allege-bias-after-public-islamic-prayer-praised-silent-christian-prayer-punished-300x169.jpg","large":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/44176-catholics-allege-bias-after-public-islamic-prayer-praised-silent-christian-prayer-punished-1024x576.jpg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/44176-catholics-allege-bias-after-public-islamic-prayer-praised-silent-christian-prayer-punished-150x150.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/44176-catholics-allege-bias-after-public-islamic-prayer-praised-silent-christian-prayer-punished-768x432.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/44176-catholics-allege-bias-after-public-islamic-prayer-praised-silent-christian-prayer-punished-1536x864.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/44176-catholics-allege-bias-after-public-islamic-prayer-praised-silent-christian-prayer-punished-2048x1152.jpg","Inhoud breed":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/44176-catholics-allege-bias-after-public-islamic-prayer-praised-silent-christian-prayer-punished-860x484.jpg","echo_preview_image":"https:\/\/explorecatholic.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/44176-catholics-allege-bias-after-public-islamic-prayer-praised-silent-christian-prayer-punished-260x146.jpg"},"appp_media":null,"yoast_head":"\n