Few mayoral elections in the West have grabbed so much global attention. And when the results were finally announced on Friday, it was one of the global headlines of the day. Sadiq Khan, ubiquitously described as the son of a bus driver and seamstress from Pakistan, who grew up with seven siblings in a public housing project in south London, has been elected as the mayor of London. The victory marked a few significant firsts in the history of Britain, all of them replete with both symbolism and huge significance. Khan is the first Muslim to lead one of the most important cities of the world, a global centre of finance. He took 1,310,143 votes (57 percent), beating his rival, Conservative Zac Goldsmith, into second place on 994,614 votes (43 percent). This was no small achievement. His tally gave him the largest personal mandate of any politician in UK history. Forty-five-year-old Khan has broken the eight-year hold of the Conservatives on City Hall, succeeding the charismatic Boris Johnson in the prestigious post.
Khan’s victory, coming at a time of rising anxiety in Western countries about Islamist extremism, will give a healing touch to the wounded relations between Muslims and the West. More than a personal victory, Khan’s is the victory of British democracy. It’s proof of the vibrancy and diversity of British democracy, and an example of the true multiculturalism of London whose voters looked at the candidate’s personality and past performance, and refused to look at his ethnic, religious and other backgrounds and affiliations, and all this despite a vicious campaign undertaken by his rival Goldsmith and Tories. The Conservative campaign attacked Khan’s past work advocating for criminal defendants and victims of police brutality, and for sharing platforms with radical Muslims at public events. Interestingly, politicians from all sides lined up to condemn the Conservative Party tactics in the race and there were calls for apologies.
Khan will act as a bridge between a community which has been unfairly targeted due to the actions of a few and a society which is still trying to understand the inner workings of Muslims in their midst. His success will tell Western Muslims that it’s their duty to grab the democratic opportunities of their countries and win the confidence of the host societies. It will tell Western communities that Muslims are capable of integration.
Khan is an eloquent example of successful immigrant assimilation. In a largely secular society, he hasn’t been coy about declaring his faith. “I am a Londoner, I am European, I am British, I am English, I am of Islamic faith, of Asian origin, of Pakistani heritage, a dad, a husband,” he said on the campaign trail.
Few mayoral elections in the West have grabbed so much global attention. And when the results were finally announced on Friday, it was one of the global headlines of the day. Sadiq Khan, ubiquitously described as the son of a bus driver and seamstress from Pakistan, who grew up with seven siblings in a public housing project in south London, has been elected as the mayor of London. The victory marked a few significant firsts in the history of Britain, all of them replete with both symbolism and huge significance. Khan is the first Muslim to lead one of the most important cities of the world, a global centre of finance. He took 1,310,143 votes (57 percent), beating his rival, Conservative Zac Goldsmith, into second place on 994,614 votes (43 percent). This was no small achievement. His tally gave him the largest personal mandate of any politician in UK history. Forty-five-year-old Khan has broken the eight-year hold of the Conservatives on City Hall, succeeding the charismatic Boris Johnson in the prestigious post.
Khan’s victory, coming at a time of rising anxiety in Western countries about Islamist extremism, will give a healing touch to the wounded relations between Muslims and the West. More than a personal victory, Khan’s is the victory of British democracy. It’s proof of the vibrancy and diversity of British democracy, and an example of the true multiculturalism of London whose voters looked at the candidate’s personality and past performance, and refused to look at his ethnic, religious and other backgrounds and affiliations, and all this despite a vicious campaign undertaken by his rival Goldsmith and Tories. The Conservative campaign attacked Khan’s past work advocating for criminal defendants and victims of police brutality, and for sharing platforms with radical Muslims at public events. Interestingly, politicians from all sides lined up to condemn the Conservative Party tactics in the race and there were calls for apologies.
Khan will act as a bridge between a community which has been unfairly targeted due to the actions of a few and a society which is still trying to understand the inner workings of Muslims in their midst. His success will tell Western Muslims that it’s their duty to grab the democratic opportunities of their countries and win the confidence of the host societies. It will tell Western communities that Muslims are capable of integration.
Khan is an eloquent example of successful immigrant assimilation. In a largely secular society, he hasn’t been coy about declaring his faith. “I am a Londoner, I am European, I am British, I am English, I am of Islamic faith, of Asian origin, of Pakistani heritage, a dad, a husband,” he said on the campaign trail.
