Politics

The first Muslim mayor of London…should we follow their lead?

via ITV

Sadiq Khan looks set to become London’s first Muslim mayor, after elections in the UK capital ip largely in his favour.

The son of a bus driver and a Muslim, Mr Khan is going to make history. It makes us wonder: should Australia follow suit?

We have had a number of prominent Muslims in our governments. The former mayor of Dandenong in Victoria, Jim Memeti; Salim Mehajer, the Deputy Mayor of Auburn in Sydney; and Houssam Abiad, Deputy Lord Mayor City of Adelaide. But could it ever be conceivable that the mayor of our biggest city, Sydney, could be Muslim?

Mr Khan may be popular due to his contrasting upbringing to his rival. The 45-year-old soon-to-be-mayor is the son of a bus driver and grew up in public housing in inner city London. Conservative Zac Goldsmith, on the other hand is the son of a billionaire financier.

Mr Khan faced accusations by Mr Goldsmith that he has supported radical Muslim speakers and given “oxygen” to extremists, reports the ABC.

Mr Khan said he has fought extremism all his life and that he regrets sharing a stage with speakers who held “abhorrent” views.

The votes are still being counted but it seems the city of 8.6 million people is already celebrating the progressive change after 8 years of Boris Johnson’s mayorship.

Some compared the victory to Obama’s 2008 landmark presidency, while others said the city had won the fight against hate:

 

It certainly is an interesting discussion and we’re interested in your views. Do you think Sydney or another major capital city could have a Muslim mayor? Would it go a long way in changing prejudices or would it cause issues?

 

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