22 March 2024 , 16:43
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A Ramadan message that was displayed at King's Cross station has been removed after sparking backlash.
The controversial display, which was featured on the train departure board, referenced "sinners" as part of a quote from the Prophet Muhammed. The message has since been taken down from Network Rail after critics described it as "inappropriate". The message also included the times for Fajr (sunrise prayers) and Mahgrib (sunset prayers) at the station on March 19.
Network Rail has since stated that they celebrate all religions, however, they shared that the message should not have been on the departure board. In response to the broadcast, the charity Humanists UK said: “Public train stations should not be urging ‘sinners’ to repent. It is obviously inappropriate and profoundly misjudged to broadcast hadiths or any religious scripture at passengers. We will be writing to the Transport Secretary to outline our concerns.”
The message has since been removed (@SURPLUSTAKES)However, Islam Channel supported the sentiment and said: "The beauty of Ramadan in unexpected places. A Ramadan hadith spotted at King's Cross Station reminds us of the blessings and wisdom this holy month brings." Network Rail confirmed that the situation has since been "corrected".
A spokesperson told BBC London: "We celebrate all the big religious festivals from Christmas to Ramadan at King's Cross to reflect our diverse passenger and employee base." The spokesperson added: "Our main departure board should be reserved for train information and our general Ramadan celebratory messages weren't used for some reason, which we're looking into. All has now been corrected."
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Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic Calendar, during which the Muslim community (the Ummah) abstains from eating, drinking, smoking cigarettes, and having sex, between sunrise and sunset. This year Ramadan runs between Sunday, March 10 and Tuesday, April 9.