San Francis Elects First Black Woman Mayor; Gay Candidate Conces

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• THE SECRET LIFE OF SADIQ KHAN, LONDON’S FIRST MLIM MAYORJUMPING THE SHARQY, SADIQ KHAN SUCKED UP TO EXTREMIST MLIMS THE PAST, BUT, STILL, NGRATULATNS ARE ORR FOR HIM—AND THE VOTERS.MAAJID NAWAZUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 3:55PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 08, 2016 12:00AM EDT YUI MOK/AFP/GETTY IMAGLONDON — IT’S A PIECE OF HISTORY. LONDON HAS GAED HER FIRST MLIM MAYOR, A FELLOW PAKISTANI-BR. AND THOUGH BEG MLIM BEARS ABSOLUTELY NO RELEVANCE TO HOW SADIQ KHAN TENDS TO N LONDON—FOR ISLAM IS AS AMBIVALENT ON THE DIFFICULTI OF LONDON’S HOG CRISIS AS IS ON THE HUMAN GENE SEQUENCE—HIS RELIGN HAS BEE RELEVANT.IN SUCCSFULLY TEGRATG THEIR MLIM RINTS, LONDON, THE UNED KGDOM, EUROPE, AND THE WIR WT HAVE BEEN GOG THROUGH SOMETHG OF AN INTY CRISIS.ISLAMIST MLIMS WHO SIST THAT HUMANY N ONLY BE JUDGED BY HOW MLIM IS, AND ANTI-MLIM BIGOTS WHO SIST THAT HUMANY N ONLY BE JUDGED BY HOW MLIM ISN’T, HAVE MA ISLAM RELEVANT. THE REGRSIVE LEFT SADIQ KHAN’S LABOUR PARTY, AND THE POPULIST RIGHT AMONG TMP’S REPUBLINS HAVE MA ISLAM A HOT TOPIC. THE ONLY WAY ISLAM WILL CEASE BEG AN ISSUE IS WHEN EVERYONE, MLIM OR NOT, IS EMED TO SHARE THE SAME RIGHTS, AND IS HELD TO THE VERY SAME LIBERAL EXPECTATNS. UNTIL THEN, DISCRIMATN WILL NTUE TO FEED THE POISONO TRIBALISM FUELG MORN INTY POLICS. THIS APPLI WHETHER THAT DISCRIMATN THE FORM OF RIGHT-WG ANTI-MLIM BIGOTRY, OR THE FORM OF THE LEFT-WG BIGOTRY OF LOW EXPECTATNS THAT HOLDS MLIMS TO LSER, ILLIBERAL STANDARDS. UNTIL THE TW BIGOTRI ARE ALT WH, SADIQ KHAN’S RELIG AFFILIATN WILL, SADLY, REMA A TOPIC OF BATE.IN THIS WAY, THE VICTORY OF LONDON’S NEW MAYOR AS A NON-ISLAMIST MLIM IS AS MUCH A BLOW TO ISLAMIST BIGOTS AS IS TO ANTI-MLIM BIGOTS. THIS VICTORY SPEAKS TO THE POSSIBILI OF TEGRATN. IT OFFERS HOPE FOR OUR UNTRY’S NEW IMMIGRANT FAI. AND AS A SYMBOL OF SOCIAL MOBILY, PROVIS ASPIRATN TO THOSE OM HUMBLE BACKGROUNDS.SADIQ KHAN’S VICTORY IS PROBABLY THE ONLY B OF GOOD NEWS JEREMY CORBYN’S FAR-LEFT-LED LABOUR PARTY N TLY CELEBRATE THIS WEEKEND. AND CELEBRATE THEY SHOULD. DEMOCRACY HAS SPOKEN. WH , A TORN CY MIGHT BE ABLE TO BEG HEALG THE OLD WOUNDS OF INTY AND RELIGN RE-OPENED BY THE MUDDY MPAIGN TO GET KHAN ELECTED, AND THE MUDDY MPAIGN THAT OPPOSED HIM.THE MUDDY MPAIGNS WERE FACT A MICROSM OF THE INTY PROBLEMS PLAGUG MORN EUROPE. IS LONDON’S NEW MAYOR AN ISLAMIST? THIS QUTN DROVE A POLIL PENDULUM SWG TO BOTH EXTREM AT THE EXPENSE OF A GENUE NVERSATN THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE HAD.I’VE KNOWN SADIQ KHAN SCE 2002 WHEN HE WAS MY LAWYER WHILE I SERVED AS AN ISLAMIST POLIL PRISONER EGYPT, BEFORE HE BEME A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT. I’M FOREVER BTED TO HIM FOR VISG ME MAZRA TORA PRISON, WHILE THE WORLD GAVE UP ON ME.DUE TO THIS HISTORY, MANY THE PRS ASKED ME FOR MY VIEW ON THE VERACY OF THE “ISLAMIST” ALLEGATNS SURROUNDG THE NEW MAYOR, BUT I REFED TO MAKE MY VIEWS KNOWN UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTNS. Y, THIS NVERSATN NEED TO BE HAD, BUT I PREFERRED TO HAVE ONLY WHEN THE TRIBALISMS OF LEFT AND RIGHT, OF MLIM AND NON-MLIM, WERE LEFT FIRMLY AT THE DOOR. ELECTN SEASON MA THAT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. SADIQ KHAN IS NO MLIM EXTREMIST. AND IS NOT ONLY HIS TRACK RERD VOTG FOR GAY RIGHTS THAT PROV THIS. HAVG KNOWN HIM WHEN I WAS A MLIM EXTREMIST, I KNOW THAT HE DID NOT SUBSCRIBE TO MY THEN-THEOCRATIC VIEWS.MANY NSERVATIV WHO SPERATELY OPPOSED KHAN JUMPED THE SHARK WHEN THEY LLED HIM A “RADIL ISLAMIST,” AND LKED HIM TO SENSATNALIST HEADL THAT CLARED HE HAD A “HARDRE ISLAMIST PAST.” NUANCE IS THE IEND OF TTH.ON THE OTHER HAND MANY MLIMS, AND THOSE ON THE LEFT, PREFERRED TO BURY THEIR HEADS THE SAND, CHASTISG ANYONE WHO DARED TO CHALLENGE KHAN ON HIS PAST ISLAMIST RELATNSHIPS, AS “RACISTS.” SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL AND SPEAK NO EVIL. THE REGRSIVE LEFT’S OVESE OF THE WORD RACISM ON SUCH MATTERS IS AS UNHELPFUL AS THE POPULIST RIGHT’S OVESE OF THE WORD “EXTREMIST.”IT IS AS RACIST TO ASK THE QUTNS, AND TO HAVE THIS NVERSATN, AS WAS WHEN LONDONERS QUTNED THE WHE, NON-MLIM FORMER LABOUR MAYOR OF LONDON, KEN LIVGSTONE, ABOUT HIS LKS TO ISLAMISTS, OR WHEN THE PRS QUTN THE WHE, NON-MLIM LABOUR LEAR, JEREMY CORBYN, AND THE MAVERICK WHE POLICIAN GEE GALLOWAY OVER THEIR TI TO EXTREMISTS.IN OTHER WORDS ’S NOT RACIST AT ALL, AS ATMA SGH—LABOUR’S OWN SOUTH-ASIAN AFFAIRS ADVISOR TO A FORMER MAYOR OF LONDON—POTS OUT. TO IMPLY THAT IS, AND TO HOLD SADIQ KHAN TO A LSER STANDARD THAN HIS WHE LLEAGU MERELY BEE HE IS A BROWN MLIM, IS THE VERY BIGOTRY OF LOW EXPECTATNS THAT FUELS INTY POLICS EVEN FURTHER. ALONGSI THE ENVIRONMENT, EXTREMISM IS ONE OF THE MOST PRSG ISSU OF OUR DAY. OF URSE WILL E UP AN ELECTN MPAIGN.AND FERENCE TO THE SERNS OF THE SUBJECT, AND THE LIV LOST OVER , WHAT ME UP ABOUT KHAN’S ALLEGED LKS TO EXTREMISTS IS PERTENT. THOSE QUTNS NEED TO BE ASKED. I NNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THAT I WRE AS A LIBERAL, WHO VOTED FOR A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT THIS RACE, AND NOT AS A NSERVATIVE. SO NOW THAT THE ELECTN IS OVER, AND LONDON HAS S FIRST MLIM MAYOR, LET STEP BACK AND NSIR THE SMOKE TO THIS NSERVATIVE FIRE.THE SEEDS WERE SOWN WH KHAN’S NOW-FORMER -LAWS. DURG LONDON’S ’90S ISLAMIST HEYDAY, KHAN’S BROTHER--LAW MAKBOOL JAVAID WAS AFFILIATED AND LISTED AS A SPOKMAN TO THE NOW-BANNED TERRORIST GROUP AL-MUHAJIROUN, FOUND BY THE HATE PREACHER OMAR BAKRI MUHAMMAD, AND THEN LED BY THE FAMO FANATIC ANJEM CHOUDARY. I KNEW OF MAKBOOL BACK THEN, TOO. HIS BROTHERS WERE LLEAGU OF ME, AFFILIATED TO MY FORMER EXTREMIST ANIZATN, HIZB UT-TAHRIR.THROUGH SUCH NNECTNS KHAN GRATIATED HIMSELF THE LONDON ISLAMIST SCENE. IN 2003, HE APPEARED AT A NFERENCE ALONGSI SAJEEL ABU IBRAHIM, A MEMBER OF THAT SAME BANNED AL-MUHAJIROUN.SAJEEL RAN A MP PAKISTAN THAT TRAED THE 7/7 BOMBER MOHAMMAD SIDIQUE KHAN. SPEAKG THERE, TOO, WAS ONE YASSER AL-SIRI, WHO HAD BEEN NVICTED EGYPT OVER A POLIL ASSASSATN ATTEMPT THAT LEFT A YOUNG GIRL AD.IN 2004, KHAN GAVE EVINCE TO THE HOE OF COMMONS HIS PACY AS THE CHAIR OF THE MLIM COUNCIL OF BRA’S LEGAL AFFAIRS MTEE. THIS IS THE SAME MLIM COUNCIL OF BRA THAT CHOSE TO NDOLE THE RECENT AHMEDI MURR VICTIM GLASGOW, BY CLARG AHMEDIS NOT MLIM.IN HIS MCB PACY, KHAN ARGUED PARLIAMENT THAT THE MLIM BROTHERHOOD CLERIC DR. YUF AL-QARADAWI “IS NOT THE EXTREMIST THAT HE IS PATED AS BEG.”THIS IS QARADAWI WHO, AMONG OTHER THGS, THORED A BOOK LLED THE LAWFUL AND PROHIBED ISLAM, WHICH HE JTIFI WIFE BEATG AND DISCS WHETHER HOMOSEXUALS SHOULD BE KILLED.INFAMOLY, QARADAWI ALSO ISSUED A FATWA ADVOTG SUICI BOMBGS AGAST ISRAELI CIVILIANS, A VIEW WHICH HAS SEEN HIM JO THE LIK OF OMAR BAKRI MUHAMMAD BEG NIED ENTRY TO THE U.K.KHAN’S RELATNSHIPS WH EXTREMISTS RAN SO EP FACT, THAT HE ATTEND EVENTS FOR THE JIHADIST RIGHTS GROUP CAGE, AND WROTE A FOREWORD FOR ONE OF THEIR REPORTS. CAGE HAS SCE CLARED ISIS EXECUTNER ‘JIHADI-JOHN’ TO BE A BETIFUL MAN LIVE ON THE BBC.KHAN’S FENCE OF SUCH A PROLIFIC FLIRTATN WH ISLAMISM IS THAT HE WAS A HUMAN-RIGHTS LAWYER. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE EVENTS WERE NOT ATTEND HIS PACY AS A LAWYER AT ALL. ONE SPECTS HE WAS SIMPLY TRYG TO GA VOT.BY 2010, WH CREASG GRASSROOTS POPULARY AMONG HIGHLY ANIZED ISLAMISTS AND FUNDAMENTALISTS, BUT RRYG THE BURN OF THE LABOUR PARTY’S WAR ON TERROR RERD, KHAN’S BID TO GET RE-ELECTED HIS HOME-BASE OF SOUTH LONDON’S TOOTG WAS FACG CHALLENG OM ANOTHER MLIM. FOR UNLIKE THE LABOUR PARTY, THIS MLIM’S PARTY HAD OPPOSED THE VASN OF IRAQ.KHAN’S RIVAL WAS LIBERAL DEMOCRAT NASSER BUTT. LIBERAL DEMOCRAT OPPOSN TO THE IRAQ WAR POSED A SER CHALLENGE TO KHAN AND HIS MLIM POWER BASE TOOTG. BRISH SOUTH ASIAN MLIMS—MYSELF CLUD—OVERWHELMGLY OPPOSED THAT WAR. “LUCKILY” FOR KHAN, NASSER HAPPENED TO BE AN AHMADI MLIM. Y, THIS IS AS RELEVANT AS SADIQ KHAN BEG A SUNNI MLIM. IN OTHER WORDS NOT AT ALL, A PERFECT WORLD. ALAS, KHAN’S WORLD WAS FAR OM PERFECT. AHMEDIS ARE PERHAPS THE MOST PERSECUTED MORY SECTS AMONG SUNNI MLIMS.KHAN KNEW THIS, AND YET THIS FACT DIDN’T STOP HIS MPAIGN WORKG CLOSELY WH TOOTG MOSQUE TO STIR UP ANTI-AHMEDI SECTARIAN HATRED ORR TO SECURE THE SUNNI VOTE FOR HIS VICTORY. FOR MANY OF MY FELLOW SUNNI MLIMS NASSER BUTT BEG AN AHMEDI WAS A DOCTRAL “OFFENCE” FOR WHICH HE WAS PERSONALLY RPONSIBLE, WHILE KHAN WAS TOO JUNR OF AN MP AT THAT TIME TO HAVE MUCH TO DO WH THE VASN OF IRAQ. BY NOW, KHAN’S RELIG WRG WAS CLEARLY ON THE MOSQUE WALL.AGA, KHAN IS NO MLIM EXTREMIST. INED, THIS NNOT BE REPEATED ENOUGH. NOR N THE FACT THAT KHAN CLEARLY HAS A RERD OF TERRIBLY POOR JUDGMENT SURROUNDG HIMSELF WH ISLAMISTS AND MLIM EXTREMISTS, AND G THEM FOR VOT.FOR A MLIM POLICIAN MORN BRA, THIS IS CREDIBLY TEMPTG AND CREASGLY POSSIBLE. NEHER BRA’S CONSERVATIV NOR S LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN EE OF SUCH ELECTORAL OPPORTUNISM THE PAST.WHEN PH TO SHOVE, GAG POWER BE MORE IMPORTANT FOR POLICIANS OM ALL PARTI, THAN FENDG PRCIPL. AND SADLY, EXTREMISTS REMA AMONG THE MOST POWERFUL ANIZED FORC BRA’S MLIM GRASSROOTS.BUT DID NOT NEED TO BE LIKE THIS. AS A LUMN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL RECENTLY NOTED “OTHER MLIM LEARS TOOK A DIFFERENT APPROACH”. SO NO, KHAN IS NO EXTREMIST, BUT CERTALY WAS NOT ‘RACIST’ TO PRS HIM ON THE ISSU. THOUGH THE CRY OF RACISM DID EVENTUALLY BOOMERANG TO H HIS OWN MPAIGN.IT IS ONLY AFTER KNOWG HOW KHAN SHORED UP HIS 2010 POWER BASE TOOTG, PART BY MONIZG HIS RIVAL AS BEG “NOT MLIM ENOUGH,” THAT THE SNDAL THAT H KHAN ON THE LAST DAY OF HIS MPAIGN BEGS TO MAK SENSE.IT WAS DISVERED THAT 2009 KHAN ED THE RACIALLY DIVISIVE AND ROGATORY TERM “UNCLE TOM”—ON IRANIAN STATE TV NO LS—TO SCRIBE REFORMG LIBERAL MLIMS, WHO UNTER EXTREMISM. THE QUTN KHAN ANSWERED HERE ME SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO MY OWN ANIZATN, QUILLIAM. BY 2009, EXTREMISM HAD GROWN SO RIFE AMONG MY OWN BRISH MLIM MUNY THAT, A SIGN OF OUR TIM, A MLIM ERNMENT MISTER FOR SOCIAL COHN WOULD FD POLILLY EXPEDIENT TO LL A GROUP OF MLIMS, WHO WERE NOT ERNMENT, “UNCLE TOMS” SIMPLY FOR CRICIZG EXTREMISM.THE STGGL THAT REFORMG LIBERAL AND EX-MLIMS FACE EVERY DAY, THE HUMANIZATN, THE LEGIMIZATN, THE EXMUNITN, THE OUTSTG, THE THREATS, TIMIDATN AND THE VLENCE MAK THIS EXCABLE.IN THEIR VERY NATURE, SUCH SLURS ARE SIGNED TO HUMANIZE THE TEND TARGET AS NOT MLIM ENOUGH, WHICH TURN N CE MLIM ON MLIM VLENCE.TODAY, MLIM TERRORISTS KILL MORE MLIMS THAN PEOPLE OM ANY OTHER FAH, AFTER THEY HUMANIZE THEM FOR BEG “NOT MLIM ENOUGH.” IN SUCH A CLIMATE, LABELG UNTER-EXTREMIST MLIMS AS “UNCLE TOMS,” “HOE MLIMS,” OR “NATIVE INFORMANTS” IS PARABLE TO LLG SOMEONE A HERETIC DURG THE INQUISN, OR A NI*** DURG U.S. SEGREGATN.DEGRADG THE “MLIMNS” OF SOMEONE CLAIMG OTHERWISE IS A PREREQUISE TO THEIR MURR BY TERRORISTS. THE RECENT MURR OF AN AHMEDI SHOPKEEPER STLAND—WHOSE SECT KHAN VILIFIED HIS 2010 TOOTG MPAIGN—BRGS THE SERNS OF SUCH SLURS HOME. KHAN KNOWS ALL OF THIS. HE REALLY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.AMONG MY FELLOW LIBERALS, WOULD NEVER FLY FOR A WHE NDIDATE TO SAY SOMETHG RACIST, NOR CE RELIG HATRED AGAST THOSE EMED NOT CHRISTIAN ENOUGH. LIKEWISE, SHOULDN’T WHEN A BROWN MLIM POLICIAN DO SO. KHAN’S LAST-MUTE GENERAL APOLOGY IS A WELE START, BUT HIS TIME AS MAYOR WILL NEED TO SHOW A TRACK RERD OF URTG THE RIGHT PEOPLE, WHILE DISTANCG EXTREMISTS, BEFORE RRI ANY WEIGHT.WHY IS OK FOR A MAYOR TO HAVE SHARED PANELS WH ALL MANNER OF MLIM EXTREMISTS, WHILE ACTIVELY DISTANCG HIMSELF OM, AND SMEARG UNTER-EXTREMIST MLIMS?DPE THIS, LIBERAL MLIM REFORMERS AND EX-MLIMS ALIKE WOULD PROBABLY STILL LEND THEIR GOOD WILL AND SUPPORT TO KHAN.TO BE HONT, HIS PERSONAL LIFE HE IS PRETTY MUCH A LIBERAL MLIM. SO MUCH SO THAT HIS OLD IENDS, THE EXTREMISTS, ARE ALREADY CLASSIFYG HIM AS A TRAOR FOR NOT BEG ANTI-ISRAEL ENOUGH, AND FOR SUPPORTG GAY MARRIAGE EQUALY.IN A FUNNY TWIST, SOME MLIMS ARE NOW PARG HIM TO THOSE HE EMED “UNCLE TOMS” THE PAST. POLICIANS OM ACROSS THE WT MT LEARN OM A PAST PLAYG POLICS WH RELIGN. FOR ANTI-MLIM BIGOTS, WE’RE ALWAYS TOO MLIM. FOR MLIM EXTREMISTS, WE’RE NEVER MLIM ENOUGH. LUCKILY FOR LONDON’S “FIRST MLIM MAYOR,” GOD VENTED SECULARISM. MAAJID NAWAZ

THE SECRET LIFE OF SADIQ KHAN, LONDON’S FIRST MLIM MAYORJUMPING THE SHARQY, SADIQ KHAN SUCKED UP TO EXTREMIST MLIMS THE PAST, BUT, STILL, NGRATULATNS ARE ORR FOR HIM—AND THE VOTERS.MAAJID NAWAZUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 3:55PM EDT / PUBLISHED MAY 08, 2016 12:00AM EDT YUI MOK/AFP/GETTY IMAGLONDON — IT’S A PIECE OF HISTORY. LONDON HAS GAED HER FIRST MLIM MAYOR, A FELLOW PAKISTANI-BR. AND THOUGH BEG MLIM BEARS ABSOLUTELY NO RELEVANCE TO HOW SADIQ KHAN TENDS TO N LONDON—FOR ISLAM IS AS AMBIVALENT ON THE DIFFICULTI OF LONDON’S HOG CRISIS AS IS ON THE HUMAN GENE SEQUENCE—HIS RELIGN HAS BEE RELEVANT.IN SUCCSFULLY TEGRATG THEIR MLIM RINTS, LONDON, THE UNED KGDOM, EUROPE, AND THE WIR WT HAVE BEEN GOG THROUGH SOMETHG OF AN INTY CRISIS.ISLAMIST MLIMS WHO SIST THAT HUMANY N ONLY BE JUDGED BY HOW MLIM IS, AND ANTI-MLIM BIGOTS WHO SIST THAT HUMANY N ONLY BE JUDGED BY HOW MLIM ISN’T, HAVE MA ISLAM RELEVANT. THE REGRSIVE LEFT SADIQ KHAN’S LABOUR PARTY, AND THE POPULIST RIGHT AMONG TMP’S REPUBLINS HAVE MA ISLAM A HOT TOPIC. THE ONLY WAY ISLAM WILL CEASE BEG AN ISSUE IS WHEN EVERYONE, MLIM OR NOT, IS EMED TO SHARE THE SAME RIGHTS, AND IS HELD TO THE VERY SAME LIBERAL EXPECTATNS. UNTIL THEN, DISCRIMATN WILL NTUE TO FEED THE POISONO TRIBALISM FUELG MORN INTY POLICS. THIS APPLI WHETHER THAT DISCRIMATN THE FORM OF RIGHT-WG ANTI-MLIM BIGOTRY, OR THE FORM OF THE LEFT-WG BIGOTRY OF LOW EXPECTATNS THAT HOLDS MLIMS TO LSER, ILLIBERAL STANDARDS. UNTIL THE TW BIGOTRI ARE ALT WH, SADIQ KHAN’S RELIG AFFILIATN WILL, SADLY, REMA A TOPIC OF BATE.IN THIS WAY, THE VICTORY OF LONDON’S NEW MAYOR AS A NON-ISLAMIST MLIM IS AS MUCH A BLOW TO ISLAMIST BIGOTS AS IS TO ANTI-MLIM BIGOTS. THIS VICTORY SPEAKS TO THE POSSIBILI OF TEGRATN. IT OFFERS HOPE FOR OUR UNTRY’S NEW IMMIGRANT FAI. AND AS A SYMBOL OF SOCIAL MOBILY, PROVIS ASPIRATN TO THOSE OM HUMBLE BACKGROUNDS.SADIQ KHAN’S VICTORY IS PROBABLY THE ONLY B OF GOOD NEWS JEREMY CORBYN’S FAR-LEFT-LED LABOUR PARTY N TLY CELEBRATE THIS WEEKEND. AND CELEBRATE THEY SHOULD. DEMOCRACY HAS SPOKEN. WH , A TORN CY MIGHT BE ABLE TO BEG HEALG THE OLD WOUNDS OF INTY AND RELIGN RE-OPENED BY THE MUDDY MPAIGN TO GET KHAN ELECTED, AND THE MUDDY MPAIGN THAT OPPOSED HIM.THE MUDDY MPAIGNS WERE FACT A MICROSM OF THE INTY PROBLEMS PLAGUG MORN EUROPE. IS LONDON’S NEW MAYOR AN ISLAMIST? THIS QUTN DROVE A POLIL PENDULUM SWG TO BOTH EXTREM AT THE EXPENSE OF A GENUE NVERSATN THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE HAD.I’VE KNOWN SADIQ KHAN SCE 2002 WHEN HE WAS MY LAWYER WHILE I SERVED AS AN ISLAMIST POLIL PRISONER EGYPT, BEFORE HE BEME A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT. I’M FOREVER BTED TO HIM FOR VISG ME MAZRA TORA PRISON, WHILE THE WORLD GAVE UP ON ME.DUE TO THIS HISTORY, MANY THE PRS ASKED ME FOR MY VIEW ON THE VERACY OF THE “ISLAMIST” ALLEGATNS SURROUNDG THE NEW MAYOR, BUT I REFED TO MAKE MY VIEWS KNOWN UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTNS. Y, THIS NVERSATN NEED TO BE HAD, BUT I PREFERRED TO HAVE ONLY WHEN THE TRIBALISMS OF LEFT AND RIGHT, OF MLIM AND NON-MLIM, WERE LEFT FIRMLY AT THE DOOR. ELECTN SEASON MA THAT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. SADIQ KHAN IS NO MLIM EXTREMIST. AND IS NOT ONLY HIS TRACK RERD VOTG FOR GAY RIGHTS THAT PROV THIS. HAVG KNOWN HIM WHEN I WAS A MLIM EXTREMIST, I KNOW THAT HE DID NOT SUBSCRIBE TO MY THEN-THEOCRATIC VIEWS.MANY NSERVATIV WHO SPERATELY OPPOSED KHAN JUMPED THE SHARK WHEN THEY LLED HIM A “RADIL ISLAMIST,” AND LKED HIM TO SENSATNALIST HEADL THAT CLARED HE HAD A “HARDRE ISLAMIST PAST.” NUANCE IS THE IEND OF TTH.ON THE OTHER HAND MANY MLIMS, AND THOSE ON THE LEFT, PREFERRED TO BURY THEIR HEADS THE SAND, CHASTISG ANYONE WHO DARED TO CHALLENGE KHAN ON HIS PAST ISLAMIST RELATNSHIPS, AS “RACISTS.” SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL AND SPEAK NO EVIL. THE REGRSIVE LEFT’S OVESE OF THE WORD RACISM ON SUCH MATTERS IS AS UNHELPFUL AS THE POPULIST RIGHT’S OVESE OF THE WORD “EXTREMIST.”IT IS AS RACIST TO ASK THE QUTNS, AND TO HAVE THIS NVERSATN, AS WAS WHEN LONDONERS QUTNED THE WHE, NON-MLIM FORMER LABOUR MAYOR OF LONDON, KEN LIVGSTONE, ABOUT HIS LKS TO ISLAMISTS, OR WHEN THE PRS QUTN THE WHE, NON-MLIM LABOUR LEAR, JEREMY CORBYN, AND THE MAVERICK WHE POLICIAN GEE GALLOWAY OVER THEIR TI TO EXTREMISTS.IN OTHER WORDS ’S NOT RACIST AT ALL, AS ATMA SGH—LABOUR’S OWN SOUTH-ASIAN AFFAIRS ADVISOR TO A FORMER MAYOR OF LONDON—POTS OUT. TO IMPLY THAT IS, AND TO HOLD SADIQ KHAN TO A LSER STANDARD THAN HIS WHE LLEAGU MERELY BEE HE IS A BROWN MLIM, IS THE VERY BIGOTRY OF LOW EXPECTATNS THAT FUELS INTY POLICS EVEN FURTHER. ALONGSI THE ENVIRONMENT, EXTREMISM IS ONE OF THE MOST PRSG ISSU OF OUR DAY. OF URSE WILL E UP AN ELECTN MPAIGN.AND FERENCE TO THE SERNS OF THE SUBJECT, AND THE LIV LOST OVER , WHAT ME UP ABOUT KHAN’S ALLEGED LKS TO EXTREMISTS IS PERTENT. THOSE QUTNS NEED TO BE ASKED. I NNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THAT I WRE AS A LIBERAL, WHO VOTED FOR A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT THIS RACE, AND NOT AS A NSERVATIVE. SO NOW THAT THE ELECTN IS OVER, AND LONDON HAS S FIRST MLIM MAYOR, LET STEP BACK AND NSIR THE SMOKE TO THIS NSERVATIVE FIRE.THE SEEDS WERE SOWN WH KHAN’S NOW-FORMER -LAWS. DURG LONDON’S ’90S ISLAMIST HEYDAY, KHAN’S BROTHER--LAW MAKBOOL JAVAID WAS AFFILIATED AND LISTED AS A SPOKMAN TO THE NOW-BANNED TERRORIST GROUP AL-MUHAJIROUN, FOUND BY THE HATE PREACHER OMAR BAKRI MUHAMMAD, AND THEN LED BY THE FAMO FANATIC ANJEM CHOUDARY. I KNEW OF MAKBOOL BACK THEN, TOO. HIS BROTHERS WERE LLEAGU OF ME, AFFILIATED TO MY FORMER EXTREMIST ANIZATN, HIZB UT-TAHRIR.THROUGH SUCH NNECTNS KHAN GRATIATED HIMSELF THE LONDON ISLAMIST SCENE. IN 2003, HE APPEARED AT A NFERENCE ALONGSI SAJEEL ABU IBRAHIM, A MEMBER OF THAT SAME BANNED AL-MUHAJIROUN.SAJEEL RAN A MP PAKISTAN THAT TRAED THE 7/7 BOMBER MOHAMMAD SIDIQUE KHAN. SPEAKG THERE, TOO, WAS ONE YASSER AL-SIRI, WHO HAD BEEN NVICTED EGYPT OVER A POLIL ASSASSATN ATTEMPT THAT LEFT A YOUNG GIRL AD.IN 2004, KHAN GAVE EVINCE TO THE HOE OF COMMONS HIS PACY AS THE CHAIR OF THE MLIM COUNCIL OF BRA’S LEGAL AFFAIRS MTEE. THIS IS THE SAME MLIM COUNCIL OF BRA THAT CHOSE TO NDOLE THE RECENT AHMEDI MURR VICTIM GLASGOW, BY CLARG AHMEDIS NOT MLIM.IN HIS MCB PACY, KHAN ARGUED PARLIAMENT THAT THE MLIM BROTHERHOOD CLERIC DR. YUF AL-QARADAWI “IS NOT THE EXTREMIST THAT HE IS PATED AS BEG.”THIS IS QARADAWI WHO, AMONG OTHER THGS, THORED A BOOK LLED THE LAWFUL AND PROHIBED ISLAM, WHICH HE JTIFI WIFE BEATG AND DISCS WHETHER HOMOSEXUALS SHOULD BE KILLED.INFAMOLY, QARADAWI ALSO ISSUED A FATWA ADVOTG SUICI BOMBGS AGAST ISRAELI CIVILIANS, A VIEW WHICH HAS SEEN HIM JO THE LIK OF OMAR BAKRI MUHAMMAD BEG NIED ENTRY TO THE U.K.KHAN’S RELATNSHIPS WH EXTREMISTS RAN SO EP FACT, THAT HE ATTEND EVENTS FOR THE JIHADIST RIGHTS GROUP CAGE, AND WROTE A FOREWORD FOR ONE OF THEIR REPORTS. CAGE HAS SCE CLARED ISIS EXECUTNER ‘JIHADI-JOHN’ TO BE A BETIFUL MAN LIVE ON THE BBC.KHAN’S FENCE OF SUCH A PROLIFIC FLIRTATN WH ISLAMISM IS THAT HE WAS A HUMAN-RIGHTS LAWYER. HOWEVER, MOST OF THE EVENTS WERE NOT ATTEND HIS PACY AS A LAWYER AT ALL. ONE SPECTS HE WAS SIMPLY TRYG TO GA VOT.BY 2010, WH CREASG GRASSROOTS POPULARY AMONG HIGHLY ANIZED ISLAMISTS AND FUNDAMENTALISTS, BUT RRYG THE BURN OF THE LABOUR PARTY’S WAR ON TERROR RERD, KHAN’S BID TO GET RE-ELECTED HIS HOME-BASE OF SOUTH LONDON’S TOOTG WAS FACG CHALLENG OM ANOTHER MLIM. FOR UNLIKE THE LABOUR PARTY, THIS MLIM’S PARTY HAD OPPOSED THE VASN OF IRAQ.KHAN’S RIVAL WAS LIBERAL DEMOCRAT NASSER BUTT. LIBERAL DEMOCRAT OPPOSN TO THE IRAQ WAR POSED A SER CHALLENGE TO KHAN AND HIS MLIM POWER BASE TOOTG. BRISH SOUTH ASIAN MLIMS—MYSELF CLUD—OVERWHELMGLY OPPOSED THAT WAR. “LUCKILY” FOR KHAN, NASSER HAPPENED TO BE AN AHMADI MLIM. Y, THIS IS AS RELEVANT AS SADIQ KHAN BEG A SUNNI MLIM. IN OTHER WORDS NOT AT ALL, A PERFECT WORLD. ALAS, KHAN’S WORLD WAS FAR OM PERFECT. AHMEDIS ARE PERHAPS THE MOST PERSECUTED MORY SECTS AMONG SUNNI MLIMS.KHAN KNEW THIS, AND YET THIS FACT DIDN’T STOP HIS MPAIGN WORKG CLOSELY WH TOOTG MOSQUE TO STIR UP ANTI-AHMEDI SECTARIAN HATRED ORR TO SECURE THE SUNNI VOTE FOR HIS VICTORY. FOR MANY OF MY FELLOW SUNNI MLIMS NASSER BUTT BEG AN AHMEDI WAS A DOCTRAL “OFFENCE” FOR WHICH HE WAS PERSONALLY RPONSIBLE, WHILE KHAN WAS TOO JUNR OF AN MP AT THAT TIME TO HAVE MUCH TO DO WH THE VASN OF IRAQ. BY NOW, KHAN’S RELIG WRG WAS CLEARLY ON THE MOSQUE WALL.AGA, KHAN IS NO MLIM EXTREMIST. INED, THIS NNOT BE REPEATED ENOUGH. NOR N THE FACT THAT KHAN CLEARLY HAS A RERD OF TERRIBLY POOR JUDGMENT SURROUNDG HIMSELF WH ISLAMISTS AND MLIM EXTREMISTS, AND G THEM FOR VOT.FOR A MLIM POLICIAN MORN BRA, THIS IS CREDIBLY TEMPTG AND CREASGLY POSSIBLE. NEHER BRA’S CONSERVATIV NOR S LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN EE OF SUCH ELECTORAL OPPORTUNISM THE PAST.WHEN PH TO SHOVE, GAG POWER BE MORE IMPORTANT FOR POLICIANS OM ALL PARTI, THAN FENDG PRCIPL. AND SADLY, EXTREMISTS REMA AMONG THE MOST POWERFUL ANIZED FORC BRA’S MLIM GRASSROOTS.BUT DID NOT NEED TO BE LIKE THIS. AS A LUMN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL RECENTLY NOTED “OTHER MLIM LEARS TOOK A DIFFERENT APPROACH”. SO NO, KHAN IS NO EXTREMIST, BUT CERTALY WAS NOT ‘RACIST’ TO PRS HIM ON THE ISSU. THOUGH THE CRY OF RACISM DID EVENTUALLY BOOMERANG TO H HIS OWN MPAIGN.IT IS ONLY AFTER KNOWG HOW KHAN SHORED UP HIS 2010 POWER BASE TOOTG, PART BY MONIZG HIS RIVAL AS BEG “NOT MLIM ENOUGH,” THAT THE SNDAL THAT H KHAN ON THE LAST DAY OF HIS MPAIGN BEGS TO MAK SENSE.IT WAS DISVERED THAT 2009 KHAN ED THE RACIALLY DIVISIVE AND ROGATORY TERM “UNCLE TOM”—ON IRANIAN STATE TV NO LS—TO SCRIBE REFORMG LIBERAL MLIMS, WHO UNTER EXTREMISM. THE QUTN KHAN ANSWERED HERE ME SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO MY OWN ANIZATN, QUILLIAM. BY 2009, EXTREMISM HAD GROWN SO RIFE AMONG MY OWN BRISH MLIM MUNY THAT, A SIGN OF OUR TIM, A MLIM ERNMENT MISTER FOR SOCIAL COHN WOULD FD POLILLY EXPEDIENT TO LL A GROUP OF MLIMS, WHO WERE NOT ERNMENT, “UNCLE TOMS” SIMPLY FOR CRICIZG EXTREMISM.THE STGGL THAT REFORMG LIBERAL AND EX-MLIMS FACE EVERY DAY, THE HUMANIZATN, THE LEGIMIZATN, THE EXMUNITN, THE OUTSTG, THE THREATS, TIMIDATN AND THE VLENCE MAK THIS EXCABLE.IN THEIR VERY NATURE, SUCH SLURS ARE SIGNED TO HUMANIZE THE TEND TARGET AS NOT MLIM ENOUGH, WHICH TURN N CE MLIM ON MLIM VLENCE.TODAY, MLIM TERRORISTS KILL MORE MLIMS THAN PEOPLE OM ANY OTHER FAH, AFTER THEY HUMANIZE THEM FOR BEG “NOT MLIM ENOUGH.” IN SUCH A CLIMATE, LABELG UNTER-EXTREMIST MLIMS AS “UNCLE TOMS,” “HOE MLIMS,” OR “NATIVE INFORMANTS” IS PARABLE TO LLG SOMEONE A HERETIC DURG THE INQUISN, OR A NI*** DURG U.S. SEGREGATN.DEGRADG THE “MLIMNS” OF SOMEONE CLAIMG OTHERWISE IS A PREREQUISE TO THEIR MURR BY TERRORISTS. THE RECENT MURR OF AN AHMEDI SHOPKEEPER STLAND—WHOSE SECT KHAN VILIFIED HIS 2010 TOOTG MPAIGN—BRGS THE SERNS OF SUCH SLURS HOME. KHAN KNOWS ALL OF THIS. HE REALLY SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER.AMONG MY FELLOW LIBERALS, WOULD NEVER FLY FOR A WHE NDIDATE TO SAY SOMETHG RACIST, NOR CE RELIG HATRED AGAST THOSE EMED NOT CHRISTIAN ENOUGH. LIKEWISE, SHOULDN’T WHEN A BROWN MLIM POLICIAN DO SO. KHAN’S LAST-MUTE GENERAL APOLOGY IS A WELE START, BUT HIS TIME AS MAYOR WILL NEED TO SHOW A TRACK RERD OF URTG THE RIGHT PEOPLE, WHILE DISTANCG EXTREMISTS, BEFORE RRI ANY WEIGHT.WHY IS OK FOR A MAYOR TO HAVE SHARED PANELS WH ALL MANNER OF MLIM EXTREMISTS, WHILE ACTIVELY DISTANCG HIMSELF OM, AND SMEARG UNTER-EXTREMIST MLIMS?DPE THIS, LIBERAL MLIM REFORMERS AND EX-MLIMS ALIKE WOULD PROBABLY STILL LEND THEIR GOOD WILL AND SUPPORT TO KHAN.TO BE HONT, HIS PERSONAL LIFE HE IS PRETTY MUCH A LIBERAL MLIM. SO MUCH SO THAT HIS OLD IENDS, THE EXTREMISTS, ARE ALREADY CLASSIFYG HIM AS A TRAOR FOR NOT BEG ANTI-ISRAEL ENOUGH, AND FOR SUPPORTG GAY MARRIAGE EQUALY.IN A FUNNY TWIST, SOME MLIMS ARE NOW PARG HIM TO THOSE HE EMED “UNCLE TOMS” THE PAST. POLICIANS OM ACROSS THE WT MT LEARN OM A PAST PLAYG POLICS WH RELIGN. FOR ANTI-MLIM BIGOTS, WE’RE ALWAYS TOO MLIM. FOR MLIM EXTREMISTS, WE’RE NEVER MLIM ENOUGH. LUCKILY FOR LONDON’S “FIRST MLIM MAYOR,” GOD VENTED SECULARISM. MAAJID NAWAZ

And is not only his track rerd votg for gay rights that prov this.

”This is Qaradawi who, among other thgs, thored a book lled The Lawful and Prohibed Islam, which he jtifi wife beatg and discs whether homosexuals should be killed. So much so that his old iends, the extremists, are already classifyg him as a traor for not beg anti-Israel enough, and for supportg gay marriage a funny twist, some Mlims are now parg him to those he emed “Uncle Toms” the past.

San Francis has elected s firs black woman mayor, London Breed, wh gay ndidate Mark Leno ncedg feat, who has been print of the cy's Board of Supervisors, held a lead of 1, 861 vot over Leno Tuday wh about 9, 360 vot remag to be unter, the San Francis Chronicle reports. Leno, a former supervisor and California's first out gay male state senator, held a narrow lead electn night, June 5, but Breed overtook him shortly thereafter. It a ranked-choice votg system, which voters select their top three favor and the ndidat wh the lowt number of vot are elimated over several rounds until a wner ndidat the race stood to make history -- Breed as the first Ain-Amerin woman mayor, Leno as the first gay mayor, and Jane Kim as the first Asian-Amerin woman grew up a San Francis hog project.