Donald Trump’s false claim that Sharia law is being introduced in London has fuelled prejudice, according to Sir Sadiq Khan.
The US president, in the latest of a series of attacks on the London mayor, made the unfounded claim in a speech to the United Nations on Wednesday.
Speaking on Friday, Sir Sadiq, who is Muslim, repeated his description of the US president as “racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic” – and said they “gave oxygen to prejudice”.
He also dubbed President Trump “the poster boy for the Far Right”.
Sir Sadiq he said he had been “overwhelmed” by the amount of support he had received from people willing to come to his defence in the face of President Trump’s attack.
Answering questions on his monthly Speak To Sadiq phone-in show on LBC radio, Sir Sadiq said: “President Trump is entitled to think, in his own words, I’m a terrible mayor.
“What I think is wrong is for him to say that Sharia law is coming to London. He is clearly linking the fact I’m a Muslim, and maybe my ethnic origin, with his views on those things by saying that Sharia law is coming to London. There is no evidence that it is.
“My concern is this. If the most powerful man in the world [is] having these views, it normalises and mainstreams certain views, it gives oxygen to certain prejudice. I think we should be bold and courageous citizens and call him out.”
On Thursday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer came to the mayor’s defence by saying President Trump was wrong.
Sir Sadiq added: “I have been overwhelmed by the support from Londoners and those across the globe.”
Sharia courts do exist in the UK and can be used by people of Muslim faith to resolve property and family disputes. Similar courts exist for Orthodox Jews, Sir Sadiq said.
“When you, time and time again, say and do stuff, you have got to start drawing the conclusion that President Trump is racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic.”
During the same programme, the mayor revealed he intended to stand again – rejecting the suggestion that he will “do a Burnham” and seek to return to Parliament to challenger for the Labour leadership.
Sir Sadiq, asked about the challenge that Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, appears to be mounting against Sir Keir Starmer, gave his clearest indication to date of his wish to remain as London mayor.
Asked whether he planned to run again, Sir Sadiq told presenter James O’Brien: “That is my intention.”
