Sadiq Khan, the newly elected Mayor of London, has lambasted Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his implacable stance on Islam, and refusal to accept that Muslims can be Western liberals too. He went further to point out that Trump’s hostility can only reinforce divisions – precisely the result that terrorist organizations such as ISIS crave.
Speaking at a conference in Montreal last week alongside Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Khan said:
“Donald Trump said that Muslims from around the world – I’m paraphrasing – would not be welcome into the United States of America. Not only does that show a lack of understanding and awareness of the great country that is the USA and its history and legacy, it’s also inadvertently playing into the hands of Daesh and so-called Isis because it implies it’s not possible to be a Western liberal and mainstream Muslim.”
Khan, who is a Muslim himself, returned to the theme with another thinly veiled accusation against Trump at a meeting in Chicago on Friday. Claiming that more support and more integration would build “bridges not walls” and would fight radicalization, he went on to say:
“As much as I love the USA, it’s up to Americans to decide who runs your country. But I will say this: we play straight into the hands of those who seek to divide us… [if] we imply it’s not possible to hold values we hold dear and be a Muslim.”
This is not the first time Sadiq and Trump have brushed. Immediately after Khan’s election to the powerful London posting in May, an interviewer asked Trump if his proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S. would extend to him. After Trump replied that an exception might be made, Khan swiftly retorted:
“This isn’t just about me – it’s about my friends, my family and everyone who comes from a background similar to mine, anywhere in the world. Donald Trump’s ignorant view of Islam could make both our countries less safe. It risks alienating mainstream Muslims around the world and plays into the hands of the extremists. Donald Trump and those around him think that western liberal values are incompatible with mainstream Islam. London has proved him wrong.”
The mayor, who is due to travel to New York this week, told reporters he would still be open to meeting Mr Trump. This is unlikely to take place, considering Trump’s petulant reaction to Khan’s comments back in May. Watch it here, via YouTube.
Featured image: Gage Skidmore/Flickr.com/Creative Commons-Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License
