This is the first letter we have published at Putney.news. It arrives from a resident of Roehampton, writing in response to a national row over Muslim prayers at a Trafalgar Square iftar event – a controversy that has dominated Westminster and the media this week.
We think it deserves a wider local audience. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community, which Dr Bhunnoo references, has been part of this corner of southwest London since the 1920s: the first mosque built in London still stands in Putney. This is not an abstract national debate for everyone who lives here.
The letter is published in full, unedited, with the author’s permission.
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the recent coverage of the Trafalgar Square Ramadan prayer (“Badenoch backs Tory MP in row over Muslim prayer event,” March 19). As someone who values community cohesion, I was concerned by the way this event has been portrayed.
Trafalgar Square has long been a shared space where people of all faiths and none gather freely. Yet when Muslims hold a one‑off open iftar, it is singled out as problematic. Islam is a modest faith with two main festivals: Eid‑ul‑Fitr and Eid‑ul‑Adha, both centred on gratitude and community. This was a single, inclusive gathering, not a cause for controversy.
I believe much of the current criticism is less about British values than about political distraction. Too often, politicians use such moments to divert attention from their own failures or to win votes by stoking division. Constant negative media narratives only deepen misunderstanding and fuel Islamophobia. In reality, many Muslim communities actively work to build bridges. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community, for instance, hosts annual interfaith iftars and welcomes visitors to mosques, guided by the motto “Love for all, hatred for none.” The intention is to spread understanding and remove doubts created by ignorance and bigotry.
We should respect the right of all communities to celebrate peacefully in public spaces. Greater understanding, not division, is what our society truly needs.
Dr Amtul Bhunnoo, Roehampton
Putney.news is trying something different.
Most online publications invite instant comments. We’ve chosen not to – at least not here. Instead, we’re doing what local newspapers have always done: publishing considered letters from residents who have something to say.
We think the format matters. Writing a letter – giving your name, saying where you live, making your case in a few hundred words – produces a different quality of conversation than a comment box. It takes a little more effort. That’s the point.
If you want to respond to Dr Bhunnoo’s letter, or if you have a view on something affecting Putney and Roehampton that deserves a wider audience, we’d like to hear from you.
Letters should make a clear point and be no more than 300 words. Please include your full name and the area of Putney or Roehampton where you live. We verify all letters before publication and reserve the right to edit for length. Anonymous letters will not be published.
You can write to us at: letters@putney.news
Or by post: Letters to the Editor, Putney.news, 79 Lacy Road, London SW15 1NR
We’ll publish the best responses.
