London’s new mayor, Sadiq Khan, said he will visit the United States before the election “in case Donald Trump wins” and follows through with his plan to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S.
Last week, Khan became the first Muslim mayor of a major Western city. In an interview with Time Magazine, Khan expressed that he would love to see Chicago and New York and swap ideas with the cities’ mayors, but feared that he could not visit the United States at all if Donald Trump won the presidency.
“I want to go to America to meet with and engage with American mayors. If Donald Trump becomes the President, I’ll be stopped from going there by virtue of my faith, which means I can’t engage with American mayors and swap ideas,” said Khan.
Khan drew comparisons between Trump’s rhetoric and the conservative campaign that Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith ran against him. Goldsmith attempted to link Khan to ISIS and other Muslim extremist groups. The tactics backfired, as many voters saw through his false accusations. Khan remains confident that Trump’s campaign will falter as well.
“Conservative tacticians thought those sorts of tactics would win London and they were wrong,” Khan continued. “I’m confident that Donald Trump’s approach to politics won’t win in America.”
Last year, Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown” on Muslims entering the United States. The former reality TV star and current real estate mogul appears to have the Republican nomination to himself, as he is the only candidate still in the race. However, Khan still hopes that acceptance will win over fear and bigotry, like it did in London.
“We’re not simply tolerating each other – you tolerate a toothache, I don’t want to be tolerated. We respect, we embrace, and we celebrate, which is fantastic,” concluded Khan.
Featured image: zapmole756 (Flickr)
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