Muslim prayers: the Sydney demo and religious freedom

OPINION

The Sydney demonstration that drew thousands of demonstrators to Sydney Square, not only coincided with Evening prayer in the Cathedral, which went ahead, but also a Muslim prayer time – but that was interrupted by police.

“‘I’m concerned at the great deal of hurt which the Muslim community are feeling about the disruption of prayers,’ Prime Minister Albanese told the Nine papers. ‘I think that is something that needs a full explanation. I know that that has caused a great deal of distress.'”

The PM was also critical of the protest leaders for defying the new protest laws, which resulted in an attempt to attempt a banned march. The skirmish, which involved interrupting the Muslim prayer, was part of the police response. The ABC reports that, in fact, the men praying had received police permission to do so. It is likely that a breakdown in internal police communication led to the interruption of the prayers.

The well-known requirement for Muslims to pray five times a day includes specific times slor, which Waleed Aly laid out in a helpful article in the nine papers.

“The specific prayer at the protest was the one called maghrib, which begins at sunset,” Aly wrote. “The darkening blue sky makes that plain. It is also, as it happens, the prayer with the shortest window, something around 90 minutes, and therefore the one most likely to put you in this position of having to find somewhere to pray wherever you happen to be. This was therefore not some kind of gratuitous performance. It was not some entirely optional act of stalling or occupying space.”

Just as Australian Jewry needs and deserves the ability to worship in peace, and to live in peace while being observantly Jewish, wearing kippot if they choose, so too we should make room for Muslim people to observe their prayer schedule.

It is a religious freedom issue, which means reasonable accommodation for people who believe differently. This aspect of the debates raised by this week’s visit of Israeli PM Isaac Herzog was raised by Brendan Byrne and Chris Bedding from the Faith Workers Alliance (FWA), a trade union for church workers.

“Faith Workers Alliance is concerned by a police interaction with a group of people who were praying in Town Hall Square, Sydney, on Monday, 9 February.

“As Australia’s trade union for faith workers, our role is to promote safety and mutual respect even when strongly held views are being expressed.

“FWA is aware that deep divisions exist within and across communities, and we do not intend to advocate for one set of views over others.

“Nonetheless, we note that for devout Muslims, daily prayers are observed at fixed times, including when they are present at public gatherings. These prayers are typically brief, quiet and non-disruptive.

“Australia is home to people of many faiths who express their beliefs in diverse and visible ways. We encourage dialogue and training to support mutual understanding between police and faith communities, particularly during periods of heightened tension.

“We hope this matter can be reviewed so that it can contribute to stronger trust and respect across our community.”

The police reacted in the midst of a heated moment, while a calmer response would have served everyone better. That could be a metaphor for the social cohesion debate Australia is experiencing.

For some Christians who might be troubled by other religions in Australia, and the presence of other prayers, please recall Paul’s word, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?” (1 Corinthians 5:12)

Image: Muslim Prayers at the Sydney demonstration. Image credit: Instagram, @mehreenfaruqi

Correction: to Waleed Aly’s name.