The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has congratulated newly elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan. According to the MCB press release, Khan was targeted with accusations of links to extremists because he is Muslim:
The Muslim Council of Britain today congratulated Sadiq Khan as the new Mayor of London. Dr Shuja Shafi, its Secretary General said:
‘I congratulate Sadiq Khan for his victory. His ready wit and resilience is an inspiring model for young people particularly from minority backgrounds aiming for a career in the tough world of politics.’
‘London is a great cosmopolitan city much loved and admired for its multicultural and multifaith diversity. The election of a Muslim-heritage mayor will serve to renew bonds of cooperation between London’s communities and City Hall. This includes establishing a more constructive relationship with the Police so that we can keep our communities safe and secure. It also means working together to tackle social deprivation, developing further our cultural capital and making our sprawling metropolis greener.’
‘Above all, we look forward to the new Mayor of London becoming a figure of unity for all Londoners and help to forge fresh new bonds between communities. Sadiq has demonstrated remarkable dignity in the face of hatred and suspicion about his religious background. Muslims and non-Muslims, including prominent Conservatives, have rightly spoken out against the divisive campaign pursued by the Conservative Party. This is not a party political comment. We know that many Muslims would have voted for Mr Khan’s chief opponent, Mr Zac Goldsmith who know him to be a decent and honourable man who used to actively engage with the Muslim community.’
‘It is most unfortunate that a Londoner who happens to be Muslim, and has gone out of his way to repudiate extremists, has nevertheless been smeared with the extremist brush, as has a London imam who is – unjustly – unable to challenge claims made in Parliament that he supports Daesh or terrorism. Such smear-by-association has become all too common for Muslims and Muslim organisations. It is a cancer blighting sections of our political and media class and has infected the solemn business of government.’”
Read the rest here.
Despite the MCB claim that Khan was targeted because he is a Muslim, the GMBDW had reported in January 2010 that he was a featured speaker for a group associated with former London mayor Ken Livingstone known as Pro London (Progressive London). Conference speakers at that time included a mix of UK. politicians, far leftwing groups, and Muslim Brotherhood figures, among them:
- Sadiq Khan MP, Minister of State for Transport
- Kate Hudson – Chair, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
- Tariq Ramadan (important leader in the Global Muslim Brotherhood)
- Abdul Bari (Muslim Council of Britain)
- Anas Altikriti (most important leader of the UK Muslim Brotherhood)
As we also reported in late April of this year, a UK media report indicated that in 2004, Khan had also shared a platform with the following individuals (affiliations provided by the GMBDW):
- Ibrahim Hewitt (Chairman of Interpal, designated by the US as a terrorist organization for funding Hamas)
- Daud Abdullah (former Deputy-Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) who signed the infamous “Third Jihadist Front” declaration)
- Azzam Tamimi (widely described as a Hamas “spokesman.”)
- Iqbal Sacranie (former Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and in 2008 was listed by the Union of Good (UOG) as a trustee.)
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is a UK. umbrella group that has been dominated by the Jaamat-I-Islami and usually acts in concert with the Global Muslim Brotherhood.