Meet the First Muslim Mayor of London
by Soeren Kern • May 8, 2016 at 5:00 am
- Conservative Party candidate Zac Goldsmith accused Khan of giving "platform, oxygen and cover" to Islamic extremists. He also accused Khan of "hiding behind Britain's Muslims" by branding as "Islamophobes" those who shed light on his past.
- "The questions are genuine, they are serious. They are about his willingness to share platforms with people who want to 'drown every Israeli Jew in the sea.' It's about his having employed someone who believed the Lee Rigby murder was fabricated. It's about his career before being an MP, coaching people in how to sue the police." — Conservative Party candidate Zac Goldsmith.
- In 2008, Khan gave a speech at the Global Peace and Unity Conference, an event organized by the Islam Channel, which has been censured repeatedly by British media regulators for extremism. Members of the audience were filmed flying the black flag of jihad while Khan was speaking.
- "I regret giving the impression I subscribed to their views and I've been quite clear I find their views abhorrent." — Sadiq Khan.
- "A Muslim man with way too many extremist links to be entirely coincidental is now the Mayor of London. I suppose this is hardly a shock, though. The native English are a demographic minority (and a rapidly dwindling one) in London, whilst Muslims from Pakistan and Bangladesh are a rapidly expanding demographic." — British politician Paul Weston.
Labour Party politician Sadiq Khan has been sworn in as mayor of London. He is the first Muslim to lead a major European city.
Khan, 45, is the London-born son of Pakistani immigrants. His father was a bus driver and he grew up with seven siblings in a government-subsidized apartment. He studied law, became a university professor and served as chairman of the civil liberties pressure group Liberty. He was elected to Parliament in 2005. Khan's supporters say he is the epitome the Muslim immigrant success story.
Khan has promised to be "the British Muslim who takes the fight to the extremists." Others are not so sure. During the election campaign, Khan faced a steady stream of allegations about his past dealings with Muslim extremists and anti-Semites.
Khan's opponent, Conservative Party politician Zac Goldsmith, drew attention to Khan's past career as a human rights lawyer that included repeated public appearances alongside radical Muslims.
Khamenei's Anti-Americanism
by Majid Rafizadeh • May 8, 2016 at 4:00 am
- Khamenei is sending a strong signal to Washington that Iran's reintegration in global financial system does not mean that the Iranian regime will change its hostility towards the U.S. and Israel.
- "The Persian Gulf is the Iranian nation's home and the Persian Gulf and a large section of the Sea of Oman belong to this powerful nation. Therefore, we should be present in the region, hold war games and display our power." – Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
- In addition, Khamenei is sending a message to the Iranian people that the current process of implementing the nuclear agreement, lifting sanctions, and partial economic liberalization does not mean that Iran is going to liberalize its politics and allow freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and more political participation.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei (left), is not giving up on the revolutionary ideological norms. He is relying on the so-called moderates, such as President Hassan Rouhani (right), to continue the process of implementing the nuclear deal in order to benefit Iran economically and ensure the regime's hold on power.
Some politicians and policy analysts argue that Iran's sanctions relief and the continuing implementation of its nuclear program would push Iran towards moderation in dealing with the United States and Israel, as well as scaling down Iran's expansionist and hegemonic ambitions. The realities on the ground suggest otherwise.
As Tehran's revenues are rising, anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric by Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are escalating.
The Iranian regime continues to view the U.S. and Israel as their top geopolitical, strategic and ideological enemies. According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, on May 1, Khamenei welcomed the Secretary General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ramadan Abdullah Shalah, and his accompanying delegation in Tehran:
