\n Birmingham City Council\u2019s Reform group of councillors have complained that the reading of an Islamic prayer in a council meeting was not \u2018inclusive\u2019 and called for English only meetings.<\/p>\n
Birmingham City Council \u00a9 4kclips \/ Shutterstock.com.
\n Birmingham City Council\u2019s Reform group of councillors have complained that the reading of an Islamic prayer in a council meeting was not \u2018inclusive\u2019 and called for English only meetings.<\/p>\n
The party’s group of 23 councillors wrote to newly-appointed Lord Mayor Zaker Choudhry, a Muslim, about the decision to invite an imam to share a Quranic verse in Arabic as part of the installation ceremony.<\/p>\n
The 30-second-long reading was translated into English to those present. In the letter, Reform group leader Cllr Jex Parkin and group deputy leader Cllr Charlie Latchford said Birmingham was a \u2018diverse area\u2019 and for this reason felt that the Islamic readings were \u2018inappropriate\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u2018We appreciate and respect your own religious faith, however, that section of the meeting was not inclusive to the many other groups across this city.\u2019<\/p>\n
The letter concluded: \u2018We hence ask that all items at future council meetings be spoken in the English language as a sign of unity across all groups in our society.\u2019<\/p>\n
Birmingham Labour councillor Majid Mahmood responded: \u2018A short prayer was recited in Arabic for around 30 seconds and then translated into English. If that\u2019s being presented as evidence that meetings are not being conducted in English, it says more about the narrative than the reality.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018At the meeting, none of the Reform councillors appeared to have an issue at the time, and there was clapping from them,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n
Reform\u2019s Shadow Chancellor & MP for Newark, Robert Jenrick, backed the demand on X, commenting: \u2018Only the English language should be used in council meetings in England.\u2019<\/p>\n
The call for English-only meetings follows the decision<\/a><\/strong> by Reform-controlled Kent County Council to introduce the Lord’s Prayer and the national anthem into its council meetings.<\/p>\n