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Public prayers and orange jumpsuits: How London's Muslims stood up to Trump
Hundreds of Muslim demonstrators prayed publicly as an act of solidarity with American Muslims living under Trump
Thousands of protesters flooded the streets of London to send an unwelcoming message to US President Donald Trump who is on an official visit to the UK. The demonstrations featured a diverse mix of ideologies and political leanings, all united in opposing Trump's bigotry, which they say stands at odds with British values.
While scores of people had begun to amass outside Oxford Circus Station in central London, holding whistles and "Trump stinks" masks, 19-year-old Rowan Bayomi began the protest differently.
Armed with a prayer mat and placard, the young protester joined hundreds of other Muslims who had come to Cavendish Square gardens, metres from the main demonstration, to hold Friday prayers.
Organised by Friends of Al-Aqsa and the Muslim Association of Britain, the demonstrators prayed publicly as an act of solidarity with American Muslims living under Trump.
Trump's visit had turned controversial within hours of his arrival.
His critics say the US president is bringing his bigoted rhetoric to Britain by promoting fear of immigrants and Muslims during his visit.
Trump renewed his attacks on London's first Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, on Tuesday and said that immigration is killing Europe.
Aware of Trump's latest episode, Muslim protesters joined the thousands of demonstrators in the heart of London to denounce the US president's presence in the country.
"This is our way of resisting Trump and what he stands for," Bayoumi told Middle East Eye.
"We knew Trump was coming, and we wanted to show the world that Muslims are against this man in a way that represents our faith and message in a positive light."
Bayomi, wearing a black abaya and pink hijab, began to walk towards Regent Street. Following the lead of other Muslim activists, she held a poster featuring an orange bin emblazoned with the phrase "Dump Trump".
The protest was due to end in London's Trafalgar Square, where a rally would take place.
Trump and Brexit
Trump's visit had come at the worst possible time. Following the referendum to leave the European Union in 2016, Britain saw the highest spike in religious and racial hate crimes.
Amina Hassan, a Somali student based in London, voiced concerns over the possible effects of Trump's visit to Britain post-Brexit.
"Trump's visit has encouraged the far-right in this country," said Hassan as she reacted to a picture of UK Prime Minister Theresa May holding Trump's hand.
"What kind of message does this send when the leader of our country embraces a man who has been openly racist towards us or does she care more about a trade deal with the US?"
Broader concerns surfaced amongst Muslim protesters, including civil rights, weapon sales to repressive governments in the Middle East and foreign policy.
Haamed Al Hassan, a junior doctor, had travelled from Wales to take part in the demonstration.
Walking down towards Regent Street, crowds began to cheer the doctor and other activists dressed in orange jumpsuits-from CAGE UK-to condemn the failed Global War on Terror. They had come in chains and marched single-file.
Trump had vowed to keep the controversial detention facility Guantanamo Bay open and load it with alleged militants despite outcries from rights groups about reports of abuse and violations of US and international law.
"What worries me about Trump more than anything is what he says about the war on terror. While his predecessor attempted to shut down Guantanamo Bay, he's done the opposite and kept it open," said Hassan who had joined the CAGE activists to protest Trump's escalation on the War on Terror.
"It's concerning, but we are ready for this challenge. The thousands who have come here symbolise that we will keep fighting no matter what."
Re: Public prayers and orange jumpsuits: How London's Muslims stood up to Trump
ridiculous, if only they protested like this against Iran and Hezbulshaytan
يا قافلة الخير "The Persian aggression against Iraq was a result of the arrogant, racialist and evil attitudes of the ruling clique in Iran."
-Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid at-Tikriti - العراق جمجمة العرب ورمح الله في الأرض
Re: Public prayers and orange jumpsuits: How London's Muslims stood up to Trump
Salaam
Protests can make a difference, the media exposure gets people talking, discussing, understanding an issue, make a difference. And judging by the lengths that many middle eastern regimes go to relentlessly suppress even a hint of protest, shows that they can make a difference.
Re: Public prayers and orange jumpsuits: How London's Muslims stood up to Trump
Salaam
More comment
PETER HITCHENS on why Britain should declare independence from BOTH Europe and the States
The time has come for Britain to declare independence from the USA. If our two countries do, in fact, have a ‘special relationship’, it is now an especially bad one.
Our internal affairs are none of Washington’s business. Many people rightly denounced Barack Obama’s crude attempt to influence the EU referendum by saying we would be at ‘the back of the queue’ for an American trade deal if we voted to leave.
The same people must logically also denounce Donald Trump’s gross and ill-mannered intervention in our private affairs on Friday, which he then pretended, totally unconvincingly, not to have meant.
Both Presidents may well have been speaking something like the truth, though in fact trade and investment between us and the USA are pretty healthy in any case, mainly thanks to our similar laws and languages.
But it is our affair, not theirs. The two Presidents should have known better, and so should whoever in Britain advised them to poke their noses into our affairs.
The Obama interference backfired so badly that it probably swung the vote to Leave. Mr Trump’s meddling, especially his mischievous endorsement of ‘Boris’ Johnson (his real name is Al), may possibly help save Mrs May from her own Tory Party.
What do I think about it all? As one of the most longstanding campaigners for a British departure from the EU, I am in near-despair at the way an honest, patriotic cause has been hijacked by frantic free-traders, mini-Trumps who know the price of everything and the value of nothing, and have no real interest in this country at all.
I want to preserve our liberties, unique laws and form of government, our Christian culture, our beautiful, flexible language, our unrivalled landscape, the irreplaceable gifts of a thousand years free from invasion.
I want my maps measured in yards and miles and my groceries in pounds and ounces; and I hope in the end to be laid in 6ft of English earth, not two blasted metres. But I couldn’t care less about our supposed freedom to import GM foods and chlorine-washed chicken from the USA.
In fact, I strongly suspect that people who think this is the most important issue are as much of a threat to my kind of Britain as the EU is. What’s more, I cannot see that creepy obeisance to the USA is any better than crawling to Brussels. It does not matter what kind of President the USA has.
Franklin Roosevelt stripped us of wealth and empire. Truman broke promises to share nuclear technology with us. Eisenhower humiliated us at Suez. LBJ loathed us for refusing to join his mad adventure in Vietnam. Reagan wanted us to sell out the Falklands to Argentina. Clinton actually made us sell out to the IRA. George W. Bush made us his lapdog. Obama was pretty openly our enemy.
In most cases, they were not personally hostile to Britain. Some of them actually quite liked us. But in US politics, if you can offer the President’s party neither votes nor money, you don’t count.
Trump cares little about this country. His arrogant rudeness towards us suits some domestic game he is playing, for he is the most brilliant politician since Princess Diana – not especially intelligent or knowledgeable, but cunning beyond belief. He knew what he was doing when he said what he said, and you may be sure it was for his benefit, not ours.
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