Lights in celebration of the Muslim holiday Ramadan will be on display in central London over Easter weekend, which is the most holy day in Christianity.
The lights, which consist of the phrase "Happy Ramadan," have emerged throughout London's West End, including on Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Leicester Square.
This marks the second year in a row that the Muslim holiday will be on full display in London after the city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, switched the lights on earlier this month at the approval of Westminster's Labour-run council, the Telegraph reports.
The London Trocadero, which takes up most of the block between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, is owned by Asif Aziz, a billionaire property developer, whose charity, the Aziz Foundation, provided funding for the lights, according to the outlet.
However, the Ramadan lights have drawn criticism from prominent conservatives who insisted that the council ought to support displays of other faiths during important faith-based holidays, especially if they coincide with one another.
(Photograph by Andy Ngo/The Post Millennial Senior Editor)
Paul Swaddle, leader of the minority Conservative group on Westminster council, questioned why an Easter display had not yet been installed in the window of the city hall offices in time for this weekend, despite stating his complete support for the Ramadan lighting.
"The thing I would question is this: there has been a Ramadan celebration in the window of Westminster city hall. But I just wonder if the Easter one is going up very soon? Easter is one of the most important Christian festivals of the year but what are they [the Labour council] doing to celebrate it? I am not aware they are. I suspect the window display is not going to change," said Swaddle, per The Telegraph.
In addition, Tim Barnes, the Conservative candidate for Cities of London and Westminster, told the outlet: "Westminster sees protests every weekend that highlight the heightened tensions we see around the globe. I think the Ramadan lights are to be welcomed, but it's critical that we are seen to be welcoming to all of our major communities and are even-handed in how we represent and promote major festivals and religious holidays."
Every year, Ramadan falls on a different day due to the Islamic calendar's alignment with the moon. Easter occurs within the month of Ramadan this year. However, there may be a 30-year gap between the two coinciding events.
This comes as pro-Palestinian demonstrations have erupted in central London since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war, and they continue every weekend.
Conservative MPs and various Jewish organizations have expressed their dissatisfaction with the demonstrations, which have frequently been violent and anti-Semitic.
The lights, which consist of the phrase "Happy Ramadan," have emerged throughout London's West End, including on Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Leicester Square.
This marks the second year in a row that the Muslim holiday will be on full display in London after the city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, switched the lights on earlier this month at the approval of Westminster's Labour-run council, the Telegraph reports.
The London Trocadero, which takes up most of the block between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, is owned by Asif Aziz, a billionaire property developer, whose charity, the Aziz Foundation, provided funding for the lights, according to the outlet.
However, the Ramadan lights have drawn criticism from prominent conservatives who insisted that the council ought to support displays of other faiths during important faith-based holidays, especially if they coincide with one another.
(Photograph by Andy Ngo/The Post Millennial Senior Editor)
Paul Swaddle, leader of the minority Conservative group on Westminster council, questioned why an Easter display had not yet been installed in the window of the city hall offices in time for this weekend, despite stating his complete support for the Ramadan lighting.
"The thing I would question is this: there has been a Ramadan celebration in the window of Westminster city hall. But I just wonder if the Easter one is going up very soon? Easter is one of the most important Christian festivals of the year but what are they [the Labour council] doing to celebrate it? I am not aware they are. I suspect the window display is not going to change," said Swaddle, per The Telegraph.
In addition, Tim Barnes, the Conservative candidate for Cities of London and Westminster, told the outlet: "Westminster sees protests every weekend that highlight the heightened tensions we see around the globe. I think the Ramadan lights are to be welcomed, but it's critical that we are seen to be welcoming to all of our major communities and are even-handed in how we represent and promote major festivals and religious holidays."
Every year, Ramadan falls on a different day due to the Islamic calendar's alignment with the moon. Easter occurs within the month of Ramadan this year. However, there may be a 30-year gap between the two coinciding events.
This comes as pro-Palestinian demonstrations have erupted in central London since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war, and they continue every weekend.
Conservative MPs and various Jewish organizations have expressed their dissatisfaction with the demonstrations, which have frequently been violent and anti-Semitic.
