Quebec takes bold action as Muslim activists blur line between public prayer and protest ~ Secularism minister calls street prayer political theater that generates unease and risks public order [effective 2/2/26]

Street prayer is no longer the image of quiet devotion. From Toronto to Times Square, it is political theater, often conducted en masse, blocking roads, obstructing entrances and projecting intimidation into the heart of civic life. Predictably, civil liberties organizations and establishment Muslim leaders have raised alarms. The rhetoric is heavy, but it misses the core issue: Public prayer in this context is not an act of private conscience. It is a performance of power in shared civic space. Prayer must not endanger others or disrupt public order. Even Islamic law recognizes the folly of obstructing communal life with ritual...