Sadiq Khan - this name is known to London’s populace, but today it has become a milestone and a symbol of tolerance and acceptance of diversity in the British society. It’s worth talking about his achievement, as we do not know a lot about tolerance here in the Arab world, which is torn apart by sectarian violence between its peoples, where many die every day because of ignorance and intolerance. Sadiq Aman Khan is a British politician who was recently elected as the new mayor of London. He was an MP for Tooting from 2005 to 2016. Khan’s election was an event that occupied headlines internationally. Khan was elected as mayor during a difficult time for Muslim communities living in the West, with the spread of the manifestations of extremism and terrorist attacks.

Khan’s vision for London is crystal clear. He said and I quote: “I want all Londoners to have the same opportunities that our city gave me: A home they can afford, a high-skilled job with decent pay, an affordable and modern transport system and a safe, clean and healthy environment.” Khan won as a Labour candidate after defeating his Conservative rival, millionaire Zac Goldsmith, to become the first Muslim in Europe to assume this position. Opponents of Khan waged an intimidation campaign against him and used his Pakistani origins and his Muslim religion to turn voters away. But a few years back, Khan was criticized by the Conservatives after verbally announcing his support for gay marriage, and voting in favor of gay marriage in 2013. Khan is bold and sincere in the expression of his positions compared to a lot of politicians today. The Conservative party fueled Islamophobia to prevent Khan from winning.

Obviously, it did not work. London has a quality of pluralism and coexistence with a lot of origins, beliefs and roots, from Anglo- Saxon to many others, especially Indian and Pakistani. Electing Khan is a strong message in the face of European extremism, which worked to scare people and intimidate them from all Muslims. Ironically, while London chose Sadiq Khan as mayor, Washington is facing the prospect of Donald Trump winning the US presidential election after a few months. The first conclusion is that London is more open and tolerant than Washington, and if the United States elects Trump as president, it will lose the last bit of trust and respect in front of the Arab world. It is true that Khan’s victory will not eliminate Islamophobia in the British political scene completely, like the victory of US President Barack Obama did not lessen racism in the US, but it gives a moment of hope that proves to Muslims in Britain that they can succeed against all odds.

London as a city is confronting several urgent problems, as the population rose by nearly 900,000 people in eight years to reach 8.6 million, with high housing prices, an overcrowded transport system and pollution. Regardless of the race and religion, Khan won the mayoral election by a landslide. He has the qualifications and the opportunity to talk to everyone with understanding and openness.