Labour’s Sadiq Khan has become the first Muslim mayor of London after defeating his Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith.
With the official announcement minutes away Khan had an unassailable lead having received over a million votes and 44% of the first preference votes.
The 45-year-old MP for Tooting reclaimed City Hall for Labour after eight years of Conservative rule, and at the end of an often bitter campaign during which the Conservatives accused Khan of “pandering to extremists”.
Khan had said he would make solving London’s housing crisis a key priority, and place a freeze on public transport fares for four years.
He said he would set a target that half of all new homes should be “genuinely affordable” and promised to boost landlord licensing, as well as name and shame rogue landlords. Oxford Street would be pedestrianised and the capital’s air quality would be restored to legal and safe levels.
However, he upset many Muslims by opposing boycotts of Israel, pledging to hold a Tel Aviv festival and questioning Muslim women who wear the hijab and niqab.
The married father of two became a partner in a human rights law firm at the age of 27. He is the son of a bus driver and was brought up in a council flat. He chaired the human rights group Liberty and was elected to parliament in Tooting in 2005, becoming transport minister in the last year of Gordon Brown’s government – the first Asian and first Muslim.
Goldsmith’s campaign, overseen by the firm led by the Tory election strategist Lynton Crosby, sought to paint Khan, whose family are from Pakistan, as a supporter of “Muslim extremists.”
It sent leaflets to Hindu, Sikh and Tamil voters saying Khan was dangerous. Another letter, which warned that Labour wanted to tax gold jewellery owned by many Indian families, was also seen as stoking community tensions.
The home secretary, Theresa May, said Khan was unsafe to run London at a time when there was “a significant threat of terrorism”, because of his history of defending extremists when he was a human rights lawyer.
Boris Johnson, who repeatedly joined Goldsmith on the campaign trail, had said: “In Islam and the Labour party there is a struggle going on, and in both cases Khan – whatever his real views – is pandering to the extremists.”
Re: Sadiq Khan becomes first Muslim mayor of London
"However, he upset many Muslims by opposing boycotts of Israel, pledging to hold a Tel Aviv festival and questioning Muslim women who wear the hijab and niqab."
Title should of been: Sadiq Khan becomes the first Modernist Deviant mayor of London
Show no concern for the praise of one whose praise cannot adorn you in any way, nor for the blame of those whose blame cannot dishonor you. And seek the praise of the One whose Praise is all honor and whose blame is all disgrace. Ibn Qayyim
Re: Sadiq Khan becomes first Muslim mayor of London
format_quote Originally Posted by Glac09
However, he upset many Muslims by opposing boycotts of Israel, pledging to hold a Tel Aviv festival and questioning Muslim women who wear the hijab and niqab.
Re: Sadiq Khan becomes first Muslim mayor of London
format_quote Originally Posted by hisnameiszzz
That's the way of the world. Loads of others have done it before him. Loads of others after him will too.
My local MP is white and non Muslim yet she is always very pro Palestine. It's not about religion. It's about humanity.
Perhaps her constituents are mostly Middle Eastern, Palestinian and/or Muslim. Politicians find who is the largest voting base in his district and then appease them to get elected.
Show no concern for the praise of one whose praise cannot adorn you in any way, nor for the blame of those whose blame cannot dishonor you. And seek the praise of the One whose Praise is all honor and whose blame is all disgrace. Ibn Qayyim
Re: Sadiq Khan becomes first Muslim mayor of London
format_quote Originally Posted by Misbah0411
Perhaps her constituents are mostly Middle Eastern, Palestinian and/or Muslim. Politicians find who is the largest voting base in his district and then appease them to get elected.
That's wrong on so many levels. You can't change your views just to get voted in. I know a lot of candidates do but what of their ethics or do they not have any? Shame on them. I don't like sell outs.
Re: Sadiq Khan becomes first Muslim mayor of London
format_quote Originally Posted by hisnameiszzz
That's wrong on so many levels. You can't change your views just to get voted in. I know a lot of candidates do but what of their ethics or do they not have any? Shame on them. I don't like sell outs.
I know its wrong but it happens a lot with politicians. Just look at the clown Donald Trump who says anything he can to get elected president of the U.S.
Show no concern for the praise of one whose praise cannot adorn you in any way, nor for the blame of those whose blame cannot dishonor you. And seek the praise of the One whose Praise is all honor and whose blame is all disgrace. Ibn Qayyim
Re: Sadiq Khan becomes first Muslim mayor of London
format_quote Originally Posted by Khalid Saifullah
Pro israel and pro same Sex marriage .... some say he is qadiani.
Has he actually said he is pro this? Or has he said he is not against banning this? Since that would be quite different. If there is already same sex marriage in the uk, is he being. "Pro"person because he is not banning the practice? Or is he simply refusing to address it?
Re: Sadiq Khan becomes first Muslim mayor of London
format_quote Originally Posted by Bhabha
Has he actually said he is pro this? Or has he said he is not against banning this? Since that would be quite different. If there is already same sex marriage in the uk, is he being. "Pro"person because he is not banning the practice? Or is he simply refusing to address it?
He is DEFINITELY pro Israel and he has mentioned this too. To be honest, it doesn't make him a complete moose because 99% of other Muslims MP's/candidates are all pro Israel, so I think it's just something you have to do to get in. Well I personally think he is a complete moose for agreeing with this, but there are lots that are similar.
Don't know about the sexuality thing. He sounds like a puppet and says what he is told to say.
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