Former US President Donald Trump criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, calling him “terrible” and linking London to Sharia law. Trump stated, “I look at London, where you have a terrible mayor, terrible, terrible mayor. It’s been so changed, so changed that they want to go to Sharia law, but you’re in a different country. You can’t do that.”
In response, Khan’s spokesperson condemned Trump’s remarks as “appalling and bigoted,” saying, “We are not going to dignify [Trump’s] appalling and bigoted comments with a response. London is the greatest city in the world, safer than major US cities, and we’re delighted to welcome the record number of US citizens moving here.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting also took to social media to defend the mayor, writing: “@SadiqKhan is not trying to impose sharia law on London. This is a mayor who marches with Pride, who stands up for difference of background and opinion, who’s focused on improving our transport, our air, our streets, our safety, our choices and chances.”
For context, Sharia law is based on the Islamic holy book, the Quran, and the life of the Prophet Mohammed. It refers to a set of principles governing the moral and religious lives of Muslims on matters such as prayers, finance, and divorce.
Sadiq Khan made history as the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital city when he was elected in 2016. According to CNN, Khan has been a strong critic of Trump, notably giving permission for protesters to fly a 20-foot-tall “Trump baby” balloon in London during Trump’s first presidential visit to the United Kingdom in 2016.
During Trump’s recent visit to the UK, he again criticized Khan, calling him “among the worst mayors in the world” and claiming that crime rates were “through the roof” in London. When asked why Khan was not present at the state banquet hosted in Trump’s honor, the former president responded, “I didn’t want him there, I asked for him not to be there, I don’t want that. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, wasn’t welcomed, and he did not attend. It was requested that he not attend.”
https://www.news18.com/world/appalling-and-bigoted-london-mayor-sadiq-khan-reacts-to-trumps-sharia-remark-at-un-ws-l-9592452.html
