Badrya Darwish

It was a big success for minorities this weekend. Electing Sadiq Khan as the mayor of London is no small thing. London is considered one of the greatest financial hubs in the world and attracts global tourism. As the capital of England and the UK, it is world renowned and incredibly powerful. I never imagined in my life to see a Muslim become the mayor of London.



But it happened thanks to the British system. This system does not discriminate according to religion, color, race or background, as long as you work hard. And it gives the opportunity to whoever earns it through merit. You don't need to be rich. You don't need to be affiliated to a royal family or an earl or a lord or a multimillionaire like Zac Goldsmith, etc. And that's the beauty of these types of Western systems.



Actually electing a Muslim mayor of one of the most visible cities in the world at a time when Muslims all over the world are discriminated against and branded as terrorists is beautiful. To know how bad it is, all you need to do is listen to Trump - the US presidential candidate - talk about banning Muslims from entering America. It is a time when Muslims all over the world are facing discrimination and unfair treatment.



Then to see London choose a Muslim mayor at this point in our history is amazing and might give a lesson to the rest of the world to be more tolerant and fair and just and to stop discriminating against people for their religion.



I hope our people in the Middle East can also learn a lesson from this and start changing some of their ruthless ways, which are actually anti-Islamic. Instead they should look at people as human beings and stop branding them by race, color or religion. We in the Middle East deny basic human rights to some people and each other in ways far away from what Islam intended.



Well done, London. And good luck to Mr Khan - you have a long and hard road before you.



By Badrya Darwish

[email protected]