London’s first elected Muslim mayor of a major Western capital faces challenging rise of anti-Islam political rhetoric
The outcome is likely to resonate far beyond a change in London’s City Hall, and gives another powerful voice to Britain’s large Pakistani community just when the country is facing its own identity crisis.
After a bitter and bruising race, the Labour Party’s Sadiq Khan won London’s mayoral race early on Saturday and made history as the first Muslim elected to lead a major Western capital city.
The outcome is likely to resonate far beyond a change in London’s City Hall, challenging the rise of anti-Islam political rhetoric in the West and giving another powerful voice to Britain’s large Pakistani community just when the country is facing its own identity crisis.
Khan, who takes over as mayor of a city of 8.6 million that normally votes Labour, hailed his victory as the triumph of “hope over fear and unity over division,” the Associated Press reported.
At a time when Islam is seen by many in the West as politically toxic, Khan embraced it to winning effect.
Eleven years ago, Pakistanis in Britain faced suspicions and huge public backlash after coordinated terrorist bombings of the London transit system killed 52 people and wounded more than 700.
Yet Khan has never tried to hide his faith. He memorably tweeted to his main rival, the Conservative’s Party’s Zac Goldsmith, at one point: “Hey @ZacGoldsmith. There’s no need to keep pointing at me & shouting ‘he’s a Muslim.’ I put it on my own leaflets.”