Imran must explain why he supported Zac: Sadiq Khan

London mayor says Zac Goldsmith openly used racist and Islamophobic tactics against him and told voters not to vote for Sadiq because he’s Pakistani and Muslim; proud of Muslim faith and Pakistani background; hope won over fear; Donald Trump is an idiot, ignorant man who needs to broaden his understanding of Islam; a few Muslims bringing a bad name to millions of Muslims

LONDON: Mayor Sadiq Khan says the PTI Chairman Imran Khan should explain why he openly supported Zac Goldsmith during the recent bitter London mayoral election campaign.

The campaign saw Sadiq Khan winning the biggest ever personal mandate in the British political history. In his first exclusive interview to any Pakistani and South Asian media outlet, Sadiq Khan told Geo News and Jang Group that Imran Khan’s open endorsement of Zac Goldsmith came as a surprise to him.

The London mayor said: “Imran Khan should explain why he supported Zac Goldsmith. When I was little, Imran Khan was my hero. He used to be one of the best all-rounders - 1982 and 1987 series were very good, then the world cup in 1992. It is sad [that he supported Zac] but this is for IK to answer and not me.”

Sadiq Khan, the Labour victor and former cabinet minister under Tony Blair, outstripped Boris Johnson's 2008 record to win a landslide 1,310,143 votes in his race to be Mayor of London, beating his Tory rival Zac Goldsmith by nearly half a million votes.

The toxic election campaign saw Zac Goldsmith branding Sadiq Khan an extremist, terrorist sympathiser, unsafe, closet radical and a threat to Britain’s national security.  Zac Goldsmith’s attack on Sadiq Khan was so racist and Islamophobic that former Tory cabinet minister and party leader Sayeeda Warsi openly condemned him.

Sadiq Khan told this reporter that it was unfortunate that Zac Goldsmith failed on all policies and tried to scare off voters by telling that he (Sadiq Khan) was of Pakistani origin and a Muslim and therefore he shouldn’t be trusted.

Sadiq Khan said he had multiple identities and he’s proud of all his identities including his Pakistani origin and Muslim faith. 

Sadiq Khan said: “Currently, Pakistan's reputation is not so good. My opponents told people that I’m from Pakistan, that I'm a Muslim. The interesting thing is that I admitted all this myself: Yes! I am from Pakistan. Yes! I'm a Muslim - but I have policies, values and ideas to be the best mayor. And I'll be a mayor for all of London, whether the people are Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs or Hindus, Buddhists or atheists, I'll still be your mayor.”

Sadiq Khan accepted that the fight for the second most important job in Britain was very tough. He said his parents taught him how to fight for values and be strong in face of odds. He said he couldn’t be where he was today if it was not for the values instilled in him by his parents. 

“My background and my values come from my parents. They originate from Pakistan and they're a source of pride for me. I always source back to my religion — Islam. If you can help others, you can. Don’t be arrogant, don’t be vain. If you get an opportunity, then explain to people what type of a country is Pakistan, and what type of a religion Islam is. This was my thinking. I am proud of who I am and I have every reason to take pride in my being and my values.”

Sadiq Khan said he was supported by people of all faiths and people of no faith. “My victory is everyone's victory. The support I received in the shape of campaigning, finance and prayers was absolutely fantastic. And we showed the world that London is the best city in the world.”

Sadiq Khan told Geo News that he was aware that his victory was celebrated across Pakistan and people prayed for his victory and held celebrations when he was declared a victor.

“I received messages from friends and supporters about the pride that was felt in Pakistan. My parents and grandparents are from Pakistan. My family is still there so I feel proud; I feel humbled, and this is a responsibility to show to London that a man from an Islamic background and Pakistani heritage can help business, can build homes, can fix the transport.”

Sadiq Khan said Tory election campaign was negative and counter-productive and it was clear that the Londoners had rejected their message of division and hatred.

“The Conservative campaign was extremely negative, divisive and desperate. People were doubted about whether it’s possible for London to choose a mayor and have security around other issues. 

The support we received was fantastic. The biggest ever turnout in election, the biggest vote to the winning candidate and we've shown the world that we're the best city in the world. And I thank all your viewers (of Geo News) for the best wishes after elections.

I received lots of messages after May 5. I am deeply thankful to all those people. I am very busy at the moment and I can’t thank everyone in person but I know their sentiments and value them.”

Sadiq Khan said it was a sad fact that the “reputation of our religion Islam is not good these days”.  He said many people in the world think that all Muslims are terrorists and extremists. “So if we can show them that we're peaceful, law-abiding and that we're capable of keeping everyone safe, then the reputation of Islam will improve.”

Sadiq Khan has said he was not a Muslim leader, not a spokesperson for Islam and not the representative of Muslims but he had made it clear that he’s a practising Muslim and observes Ramazan.

He told Geo News that fasting for 19 hours a day in the UK was not an easy task, especially when there’s a round the clock job to do at the City Hall but he said Islam was all about making sacrifices and overcoming the self for others.

“It is difficult to fast for 19 hours. I engage in a lot of speeches, media, TV and public debating. Fasting is a sacrifice and this is a month of charity. And this is my humility. I know a lot of people in London are hungry. 100,000 people last year used a food bank. So fasting allows me to have solidarity with these hungry, poor people.

“There is a reason fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. If you're a Muslim, and you can fast, then that's great. Another positive thing is that non-Muslims are now learning about Islam, about fasting. They ask me "how are you doing this? How is the fasting going?" I think this is a good thing that they're beginning to understand our religion.”

Sadiq Khan, a human rights lawyer, has been attacked by Muslim extremists in the past but Zac Goldsmith accused him of being an extremist.  Results showed that Londoners clearly didn’t believe Zac Goldsmith and showed trust in Sadiq Khan. 

Sadiq Khan has consistently spoken against extremists and vowed that he will continue his fight against those who indulged in terror acts in the name of Islam and brought a bad name to millions of ordinary Muslims who have nothing to do with terrorism.

Sadiq Khan has condemned US politician Donald Trump for helping extremist groups such as Daesh by announcing entry ban on all Muslims.

“Extremists say that western values and Islam is incompatible - that you cannot be a Muslim if you're western. They're both different. Donald Trump is saying the same: that you cannot be western if you're a Muslim. He proposed a ban on Muslims from entering USA. After my victory, he announced that he'd make an exception for Sadiq Khan.

“My answer is this: I am not an exception. Why are you making an exception for me? There are law abiding Muslims in England and London and Europe and all around the world who want to go to America. They're peaceful, they're law-abiding. Donald Trump is basically doing the ISIS' work for them by preaching their message of either Westernism or Islam.”

The London mayor said Donald Trump was an ignorant man who needed to broaden his horizons and understanding of Islam.

“I say Trump is an idiot. He doesn’t understand Islam, and it is our duty to make him understand that this is not what Muslims or Islam is about. And in America there are Americans who are Muslims working and living peacefully.”

Sadiq Khan outlined his plan of dealing with extremism by supporting the police and security agencies to effectively deal with this menace and to root out hate preaching. He said the biggest worry was that it needed only one terrorist to succeed in his mission of causing mayhem and terror. He said the fact that many young Muslims, including many women, went to Syria from the UK to join ISIS was a worry and must be dealt with.

“It is a big worry. London is a great city. Intervention has to be more resilient to this preaching of hate. There is a motive to close down those websites that are encouraging people to go stray. There have been moves to closing down certain accounts and stopping things which encourage people to join terror groups. So we have a responsibility to ensure that young people aren't led down that path.”

He said extremist preaching in prisons and young offenders’ institutions will be rooted out too. “I'm certainly not making generalisation of Muslims or of Islam. I try to explain to people that there's a small faction of people claiming to be Muslims who are extremists. We'll have to remind people that freedom of expression is absolutely right but there are responsibilities of that as well.

“There are loads of British Muslim journalists, businessmen, doctors, entrepreneurs who have done amazing things for this country and they're hard working and law-abiding.” Sadiq Khan last week appeared with Prime Minister David Cameron to show support for the “In” campaign which wants the UK to stay in the European Union. 

Only weeks ago the PM had called Sadiq Khan an extremist in parliament. Observers said it was Sadiq Khan’s victory and his vindication that the PM stood next to him and praised him and his election mandate.

Sadiq Khan said he believed that it was in Britain’s interest to stay in the European Union and not leave it. “We showed on May 5 how hope and fairness can be used to defeat division. Jobs, export market, high street, restaurants, fashion... market of USA, China, Japan. We need to think of consequences and remind people of the downsides. The benefits are huge.”