“It is very unfortunate that the Conservative Party is amplifying conspiracy theories that I am controlled by Islamists,” says Sadiq Khan.
LONDON: London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said racist and Islamophobic attacks have been launched against him by senior Conservative leaders, backed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, because he is a Muslim of Pakistani origin.
In an interview with Geographic newsLondon's mayor said he has no doubt why senior Conservatives such as Suella Braverman, Lee Anderson, Lizz Truss and others have made false and dangerous accusations against him and British Muslims.
Senior Conservative leader Anderson, a former Conservative vice-president, claimed Khan was being controlled by “Islamists” and Braverman claimed Britain was being ruled by “Islamists”.
Khan told Geo News: “It is very unfortunate that the Conservative Party is amplifying conspiracy theories that Islamists control me. These accusations are lies and insults about Muslims.
“I can tell you that if I were not Pakistani and Muslim, these accusations would never have been made. “It is very dangerous and completely false to say that there is an Islamization of London, that Muslims are taking over London and that London has become London.”
“These accusations are made to cause fear about Muslims in non-Muslim communities. The fact is that Muslims have integrated into society, we have learned the language, we go to schools and universities to receive education, we work and we pay taxes. So we ask ourselves, what will it take for us to be accepted?
Labor Mayor Khan had urged the Prime Minister to brand the comments racist and Islamophobic, but Sunak refused to do so.
Khan said Prime Minister Sunak and his cabinet should have said categorically that these comments by their leaders are racist, Islamophobic and anti-Muslim, but they are afraid.
He said: “When there is any incident of anti-Semitism we say it is wrong and anti-Semitic. We also condemn misogyny and sexism. “So why is it that when British and Muslims of Pakistani origin are attacked, no one says it is Islamophobic and anti-Muslim?”
Khan said it has been more than a week since Anderson made Islamophobic comments but the entire government has refused to utter the word “Islamophobic.”
“Even if you have problems with the word Islamophobic, you can say it is anti-Muslim. This is very unfortunate because Rishi Sunak should know better,” he said and urged the prime minister to stop discriminating against Muslims and Pakistanis.
Khan said Geo News in 2016 had brilliantly reported how “the Conservatives and Zac Goldsmith ran a highly Islamophobic and racist campaign against me”.
“My fear is that the same thing will happen again because the local council elections in May are just around the corner and the Conservatives are doing it again to scare voters because Sadiq Khan is Muslim and Pakistani. Next year there will be a general election and they are projecting lies and Islamophobia to win votes based on fear and hatred.”
Khan said senior conservative leaders attacking Muslims are not fringe elements but traditional politicians.
He said: “Lizz Truss was the last prime minister before Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman was the last home secretary and Lee Anderson was the last vice-president of the Conservative party.”
“This is the dominant conservative party that amplifies anti-Muslim hate. Lizz Truss agreed with Donald Trump's right-hand man that Tommy Robinson is a hero. He is the same Tommy Robinson who was in prison for his racism and for the things he has done.”
Khan condemned Braverman, who has repeatedly attacked Muslims.
The mayor of London said: “Suella Braverman says Islamists have taken over Britain. I ask you how and where: in the House of Lords, in the Supreme Court, in the House of Commons or in the media, how and where? I ask you all not to get angry but to take revenge. We must organize a registration and a vote because these attacks are launched to discourage us from participating in the votes. For Muslims, participating in politics is more important than ever.”
The latest YouGov poll puts Khan 25 points ahead of his Conservative rival, but he said he is not worried about the polls and believes the only way forward is for as many people as possible to turn out and vote.
He said that during the two terms he has been mayor of London, gun crime, robberies and homicides have fallen “but I am not complacent and I still believe they are too high.”
He said he could offer more to London when there was a Labor prime minister at the center and a Labor mayor of London.
