Up to 30,000 worshippers gathered at Small Heath Park in Birmingham on Friday to celebrate Eid al-Fitr.
The event marked the conclusion of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
Green Lane Mosque organised the gathering, which attracted families from across the Midlands.
Morning prayers began at 9am, followed by festivities including fairground rides, food stalls and entertainment.
Enormous crowds filled the city centre park for the Eid prayer, known as Salah.
After the religious observance concluded, attendees were seen embracing and celebrating together.
The occasion saw Muslims come together to mark the end of their dawn-to-dusk fast, which lasted just over 12 hours by Friday.
The large turnout caused significant traffic disruption in surrounding streets.
West Midlands Roads warned of heavy congestion on the A45, Coventry Road and Golden Hillock Road.
Enormous crowds filled Small Heath Park for the Eid prayer, known as Salah
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REUTERS
Narrow streets and increased parking around Small Heath Park meant more cars than usual were attempting to navigate the area.
Birmingham Council said it was working with West Midlands Police and local partners to ensure safe celebrations.
But the event came just days after a bitter row broke out over a similar mass gathering in London’s Trafalgar Square.
Sir Sadiq Khan hailed the “power of being Muslim” as he addressed thousands at the “biggest Iftar in the Western world” in the iconic square.
Birmingham Council said it was working with West Midlands Police and local partners to ensure safe celebrations
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REUTERS
Huge crowds had gathered in central London on Monday to break their daily fast, with worshippers seen praying and blasting the call to prayer.
Human rights campaigners told GB News it was an example of the UK being “too soft” and “appeasing” Islam.
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy has since branded the event an “act of domination”.
“Mass ritual prayer in public places is an act of domination,” he said. “Perform these rituals in mosques if you wish. But they are not welcome in our public places and shared institutions.”
Sir Keir Starmer called Mr Timothy’s remarks “utterly appalling” during PMQs that day – and demanded he be sacked for voicing his opinion.
His close ally, Attorney General Lord Hermer, accused the Tories of “seeking to divide Britain like Reform and Tommy Robinson“.
He then demanded the party celebrated “our brilliantly welcoming and diverse country”.
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy has branded the huge iftar in London an ‘act of domination’
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HOUSE OF COMMONSKemi Badenoch has since refused to sack Mr Timothy, accusing the Prime Minister of “sucking up” to the Muslim community.
“As a woman, and especially as a woman from an ethnic minority who grew up in a country where Islam was very visible, I’m very uncomfortable with seeing women pushed to the back in the middle of Trafalgar Square in an event which is exclusionary,” Mrs Badenoch said.
Mr Timothy has refused to back down, writing on social media: “I will not be silenced.”
Nigel Farage has also backed the Shadow Justice Secretary, warning the Trafalgar Square event was an attempt to “overtake, intimidate and dominate” the historic site.
Various Labour figures including the PM, Lord Hermer and Sir Sadiq all attempted to catch out the Reform chief by asking whether he’d ban other forms of mass religious observance.
Asked by a reporter to clarify on Thursday if he also planned to ban Catholic or Jewish mass religious events, Mr Farage said: “I have never seen Jewish services taking place in places of historic Christian worship or anywhere else”.
