Sadiq Khan - London's New Muslim Mayor

• 05.10.2016, 17:55
•  Europe,  World

AFP

The former Labour MP and minister Sadiq Khan became London's third mayor after Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. Mr Khan's victory - which gave him the largest personal mandate of any politician in UK history - ends eight years of Conservative control of the city of 8.6 million people.

Khan has secured a comfortable victory over his closest rival — the Conservative party's Zac Goldsmith — with 1,310,143 votes. That's a record number of votes for a single politician in the UK.

"Thank you London. London is the greatest in the world. I'm so proud of our city. I'm deeply humbled by the hope and trust you've placed in me today," Khan said in his victory speech, BBC writes.

Khan also referred to his humble origins on a council estate and said he had never imagined that "someone like me could be elected as mayor of London," promising to be a mayor "for all Londoners". He said the campaign had not been without controversy, but added: "I am so proud that London has today chosen hope over fear".

The new mayor did not have a privileged start in life. He was one of eight children born to Pakistani immigrants, a bus driver and a seamstress, on a south London housing estate.

Khan made an emotional speech referencing his Pakistani father, who he said would have been "proud that the city he chose to call his home, has now chosen one of his children to be the mayor."

Outgoing mayor Boris Johnson congratulated Mr Khan on "securing a huge mandate to do the best job in British politics" and wished him "every possible success". He also paid tribute to Mr Goldsmith for his "heroic efforts" in the campaign. A top campaigner for Britain to leave the EU, Johnson is now seen as a contender to succeed David Cameron as party leader and prime minister, Reuters suggests.

Islam is Great Britain's and London's largest minority religion. There are more than 650, 000 Muslims  in the Greater London area.  In the boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets, in particular, the percentages of Muslims are over 30%.

However, according to great many experts, there is nothing strange in fact that the Pakistani-born Muslim has been elected as mayor of London, since the geopolitical interests of the world are no longer divided into Christian and Muslim sectors.