"I am so proud that Londoners have today chosen hope over fear and unity over division. Fear does not make us safer, it only makes us weaker." These are the words that Mr. Sadiq Khan chose to deliver at his press conference following his historic win as mayor of London to become the first ever Muslim mayor of a major European Union city. Khan, representing the Labour Party, emerged victorious with a 57% against his city rival Zac Goldsmith of the Conservatives.
This is historic because Khan is a first generation Londoner of Pakistani descent, as his father migrated into the European city with dreams and hopes of a great future to himself and his humble family. Sadiq Khan, throughout his campaign, took pride in his descents and highlighted his origins and praised all the work his father had done for him to be where he is today. His father worked as a bus driver in London and that is how Sadiq grew his love for the city and the service of the city his father chose to be their home. Khan added that his late father would have been so proud that "the city he chose to be his home has just chosen one of his sons as a mayor."
Khan's historic victory came as a hope to many foreigners living in the western hemisphere that the future can hold harmony and progress, not fear and division. It is also a hope for the bottom and middle classes of society that hard work gets you where you dream to be, which is what capitalism is all about. Khan's rival, Zac Goldsmith, is a son of a billionaire and a businessman based in London. Throughout his campaign, he has been resembling Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for the US presidential election, in the way his narrative has been towards foreigners of his country (especially the Muslim community). He carried out a narrative of divisiveness and fear, trying his best to pressure Londoners into fearing Khan.
Khan, on the other hand, made sure his campaign highlighted tolerance and inclusion as opposed to fear and division. He celebrated London as a huge city in his victory speech saying that "you can be a Londoner of any faith or none. We don't simply tolerate each other, we embrace and celebrate each other." He came in with a concrete plan with some real policy changes targeted at housing prices, public transportation efficiency, raising the minimum wage and creating more jobs, addressing the health environmental issues related to pollution and global warming, in addition to the overall safety and security of London. Whereas Goldsmith, much like Trump, have said nothing but a constant barking at nonwhite citizens blaming them for everything and babbling that they have no place in society.
Luckily, London has just made history by choosing the better candidate, the candidate that exemplifies hope and potential, inclusion and tolerance, modesty and dedication over the candidate that celebrates fear and division. The media will most certainly highlight Khan's victory as being the first Muslim mayor of a major European city, but this is not about faith. This is about the fact that Khan is a son of a bus driver who is simply the better man for the job. For once, a city is led by one representing its majority class: the middle class.
London has chosen unity instead of fear. Now it is the United States' turn. Will Americans choose unity over fear? Inclusion over division?
