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International

My Name Is Khan!

The people of London are arguably the world’s most tolerant people, as they have elected Sadiq Aman Khan, a Muslim, as their mayor for the historic third consecutive time.

By Rafi Khan | June 2024


London, one of the greatest cities in the world, is arguably the most tolerant place on the face of the earth, too.

Those who love to live in this great city, according to the 2021 Census, are grouped into Christians (40.66%), those of no religion (27.05%), Muslims (14.99%), no response (7%), Hindus (5.15%), Jews (1.65%), Sikhs (1.64%), Buddhists (1.0%), and others (0.9%).

Sadiq Khan got over a million votes, and his winning margin was 275,000. His share of the votes cast was 43.8%. His nearest opponent and runner-up, Ms. Susan Hall, the Conservative candidate, got 32.7%.

Sadiq Khan’s list of achievements as London Mayor is as follows:

· Free school meals: All state primary schools now receive free meals.
· Fares frozen again: Transport for London fares are frozen until March 2025. This is Sadiq Khan’s fifth time doing this.
· Council housebuilding: More council homes are being built than ever since the 1970s.
· More police on the streets: The mayor has funded an additional 1,300 police officers from City Hall’s budget.
· More employment opportunities: He has created over 500,000 opportunities for London’s young people.
· Keeping London Moving: The Superloop, the Night Tube, and the Elizabeth Line are all up and running.
· Off-peak Fridays: He has made it cheaper to travel on Fridays.
· Trendy Hopper bus fare: He has made transport affordable for millions of Londoners.
· Standing up for renters: He calls for rent controls, better rights, and protection.
· Introducing the world’s largest clean air zone: The mayor has helped cut toxic air pollution by nearly half in central London. More than 1,400 zero-emission buses are now plying London’s roads, and half a million trees have been planted. There has also been a fivefold increase in protected cycling lanes across the city.
· Helping London’s homeless community: City Halls quadrupled its rough-sleeping budget, taking over 16,000 people off London’s streets.
And the list goes on.

His detractors, however, would be equally happy to point to the surge in crime rate and his defiant extension of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone to parts of Greater London, thus rendering a large number of cars and vehicles unsuitable unless the user paid a daily charge of £12.50. Not forgetting Mr Khan’s allowing pro-Palestinian marches, which take place on weekends, to continue.


These are the times when it may be surprising to find a politician whose reputation is not tainted in some way, or that the skeletons in their cupboard, rattling to be released by some relentless journalist, or who has not admitted to their error of judgement after their misdemeanours had been judged and had already spiced the media, standard and social.

It would be slightly more difficult to find politicians who keep their promises. It is very difficult to find those who would put their jobs, status, or future prospects on the line for the sake of their inherent integrity, conviction, and the welfare of their city and its inhabitants.

Instead of the £12.50 that some motorists have to pay to drive their cars in the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), Sadiq Khan could easily have ended up paying his share of the price for extending the ULEZ by losing this election. His Conservative opponent had she won the election, had pledged to scrap the ULEZ.

Not only had the media carried ads directly discrediting Sadiq Khan, but even his family became recipients of all sorts of, including death threats.
But he stood firm and honest, believing in working as Mayor of London for all Londoners, not just Muslims, the faith he belongs to. However, some of the Muslims also turned against him. Maybe, to some, he was not Muslim enough.

I wonder if you now agree that, as a society, the people of London are arguably the most tolerant and fair in the world. For the historic third consecutive time, they have just elected Rt Hon. Sadiq Aman Khan, a Muslim, as their Mayor.

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