The recent electoral victory of Sadiq Khan in London, the city with the largest population in the United Kingdom, is a welcome development. Sadiq Khan is the son of immigrants, and the first quintessential Muslim Mayor to be elected in London. It is a new beginning for national cohesion in the United Kingdom. Khan’s overwhelming victory is also instructive for two groups of people: (1.) Those who use Islam as a tool for human destruction. (2.) Those who scorn the religion of Islam.
The most important Muslim politician in the western hemisphere now is Sadiq Khan. Sadiq is intelligent for preaching love against hate, and hope against fear. He is changing the political equation in a conservative country like the United Kingdom.
UK is becoming an all inclusive country with love in amity and unity. Majority of people from different backgrounds and nationalities are coming to term to acknowledge that Islamic tenets have nothing to do with terrorism and those who wanton in bigotry. It is a new dawn in London. As the Holy Quran succinctly admonishes, it says, seek knowledge, even if it will require you to go to China. In this age of tsunami of information at your fingertips, ignorance is unfortunately a choice.
The election of the son of immigrant and a cab driver is a good omen for the United Kingdom. Khan’s unique victory is a replica of Obama’s (also the son of immigrant to US) historic victory in the US in 2008. History has repeated itself in far away London.
In spite of the vicious campaign against Sadiq Khan by his opponents, using his religion of Islam as his encumbrance. Khan garnered more than 1.3 millions unprecedented votes of the diversified Londoners in the general election. His exceptional victory at the poll is in itself a counter-terrorism for the most misunderstood religion in the world. Islam means peace but the peace in Islam has almost been shattered by the terror cartels around the world.
Retrospectively, In Constantine period, Christianity had in the past gone through this similar experience in terrorism, at the end of the dark period in Christendom, truth prevailed. Good triumphed over evils. The true tenets of Islam shall also prevail.
Meanwhile, those Islamic neophytes will not feel alienated as the inclusiveness of all Britons and the immigrants is being accommodated, this as we see, has translated into his unique victory for all. This is a welcome development not only in the United Kingdom, but a goodwill message to the troubled world in search of peace.
Those people with the misconception of Islam should be challenged to do unbiased research to see if 0.001% of these lost souls represent the beautiful soul of the religion; and billions of adherents of the religion of Islam! War on terror is a collective responsibility of all global citizens, and it is a winnable war.
If anyone has a misguided stereotype about Islam, do not blame him/her as we Muslims carry most of the blames. We allow terrorists with no understanding of Islam to sway and define Islam. We sit askance whenever they commit their heinous crimes with no swift condemnation. The likes of Sadiq Khan around the world should be more prominent to speak out to save the soul of Islam from the terrorists, and from those who claim to fight for the cause of Islam.
Khan has a lot of more work to do to fulfill his electoral promises. His extemporaneous speeches during the campaign attest to his public persona. His success at the end of his term will further serve as a unifier to every religious group in the UK. Khan’s victory is a victory for the United Kingdom, Middle East and the rest of the beleaguered world searching for peace.
Congratulations to Sadiq Khan for making another history in the United Kingdom. He has done the impossible again in a country known for political conservatism. And with God, nothing is impossible.
