To ask if it's a good thing that London has a Muslim mayor

[DoesFlossfloss]

Because my London based in-laws are not happy and I've not been following the campaign as I'm not in London so don't really care. However, we're seeing PILs this weekend and it will be up for discussion.

Has the religion of any other mayor ever been mentioned? Just because he has a different imaginary friend to the christians

Love this comment

Londoners obviously think it is a good thing. It was a democratic choice.
I think it is great- shows Donald Trump up for the bigot that he is- why would we want to be like him?

"Brown man held to account for all the actions of every brown person ever anywhere in the world"

Not so sure about that, Khans colour is irrelevant but his religion is sporning extremists at the moment and it is a very sexist religion.

There are - milions of as you say "brown people" all over the world who have different faiths and indeed no faith at all.

Islam is very diverse, as is Christianity.
As are the followers of either.

"Sue us or shoot us for not buying the wonderful rainbow idea of a 'moderate' Muslim.Discussion is quickly shut down everywhere,and people made to feel bad for their views.Give your in laws the respect to at least hear them out."

Everyone has a right to say what they think. But there are PPs below who have not actually 'heard out' Sadiq K, but have simply written him off as someone to be trusted simply because he is a muslim. What about hearing him out, and then, if you do, comment on where you find a problem with policy, belief, what he says, what he does. That is the kind of thing I would 'hear out' and debate.

Why do you not buy into the idea of a moderate muslim? Do you not know any? Have you not heard any speak? Read any of them who write articles? read about the newsagent who wished his customers a happy easter? Or is that you do acknowledge the (significant!) presence of moderate muslims, but you do not believe SK to be one?

that appalling letter after 7/7

The letter you linked to says, completely accurately, that the illegal war in Iraq and other foreign policy disasters in the Middle East increased the likelihood of domestic terror attacks. Terrorist attacks are appalling; illegal wars that kill hundreds of thousands of people and are based on cynical lies about imaginary WMDs are appalling; pointing out that there might be a link between them is an attempt to stop either happening in the future and is in no way appalling.

Sadiq Khan looks like he's going to be a good mayor. And London can get used to being run by someone who isn't a thug who can't keep his pants zipped, so that's nice a nice change.

@mintjulip Islam is a sexist religion? Have you ever read the bible?

1 Corinthians chapter 14:
As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.

1 Corinthians 11:

But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled dishonors her head--it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her wear a veil. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. (For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.) That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels.

1 Timothy chapter 2:

Also that women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion. Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent.

So I assume you'd be against a Christian mayor too.

Was it a good thing that London used to have a (vaguely) Christian mayor?

Or that the runner-up this time round is Jewish?

Of course, Oyster, most Christian denominations, certainly those present in any number in the UK, aren't solo scriptura, taking the bible as divinely inspired and necessary for salvation. Even those that are have hierarchies of what they take to be divinely inspired, which is why some of them like those "red letter" bibles in which Jesus's reported words are highlighted. Corninthians, being Pauline, doesn't get a look-in on that.

Whereas is Islam, the Quran itself is taken to be in every regard both divinely inspired and accurately reported, and therefore what is contained in it defines what an observant Muslim should believe. You can be a Christian in good standing and regard parts of the bible as wrong and that your faith contains other things (the Catholic church, for example, holds scripture, doctrine and tradition to be of equal importance, although I suspect there is more to it than that); it's much harder to be a Muslim who would be accepted as a Muslim by others and put parts of the Quran and the Haddiths aside.

I don't know religion of the last two fuvking idiots. So hopefully this one might be good

Why it would make a difference I have no idea

Or that the runner-up this time round is Jewish?

I think I'm right in saying that he'd be Jewish enough for the Nuremburg laws to have killed him, but he isn't Jewish enough to be, oh, actually Jewish. It's matrilineal, and Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart isn't very Jewish. And their grandfather may have been Jewish, but he married a French Catholic.

FatherReboolaConundrum Sat 07-May-16 17:28:22

"that appalling letter after 7/7

The letter you linked to says, completely accurately, that the illegal war in Iraq and other foreign policy disasters in the Middle East increased the likelihood of domestic terror attacks. Terrorist attacks are appalling; illegal wars that kill hundreds of thousands of people and are based on cynical lies about imaginary WMDs are appalling; pointing out that there might be a link between them is an attempt to stop either happening in the future and is in no way appalling."

I was thinking exactly the same thing. Isn't this what a lot of us were saying when protesting against the war in Iraq? Not only several million ordinary demonstrators, but hundreds of mainstream politicans, a number of representatives of other European countries and a sizeable part of the C of E, as I seem to remember. Are we all terrorists now?

Can you expand on your post, Ricardian? (I'm sorry if that sounds snotty; I don't know how to phrase it so it doesn't!)

Ricardian, there are quite a few Evangelical Christians in this country and quite a few of them have less than progressive views on women.

"it's much harder to be a Muslim who would be accepted as a Muslim by others and put parts of the Quran and the Haddiths aside."

So in SK we have a mayor who took the harder step, put his beliefs and principles first and voted in favour of equal marriage. And was subsequently targeted for death threats.

It sounds as if SK has more to be afraid of in showing integrity for his own beliefs than any Londoner has cause to be scared of having him as Mayor.

And he seems to show more courage than many of our lily livered, weasel worded politicians - of the full spectrum.

But despite taking his stance on equal marriage, women's equality and other matters, he still has people distrusting him simply because he is muslim.

I have to admit I have entertained myself for a few moments imagining Mary Berry giving a stern lecture on the behaviour of Westboro Baptists and their ilk - and castigating them for bringing 'recipes' such as this to the church Assassinate an Abortionist summer fete.

"There are - milions of as you say "brown people" all over the world who have different faiths and indeed no faith at all."

You rather make my point for me!

I can't copy on my phone but what blu says.He's stayed his tolerance and beliefs but (some people) still distrust him for being a Muslim. Those people need to wobble their heads and admit they know as much as Jon Snow

Stated. Argh!

Has the religion of any other mayor ever been mentioned?

Lufthur Rahman's. Mind you, look how well that turned out.

he isn't Jewish enough to be, oh, actually Jewish. It's matrilineal

That's the line of more Orthodox Jews. It's not universal.

All my old bigoted friends and I are very afraid.Just waiting for planning regs.to be passed for super mosques and nepotism in all spheres of civil service.

At least you can admit you're bigoted moononastick . Gosh, social gathering in your circle must be super-fun!

I'm delighted that Sadiq Khan won. Well done London for not buying into the islamophobic hate campaign that Goldsmith put his name to.

As a Londoner I am bloody delighted. I have confidence he will do a great job.

Tell your in-laws from me that they're are racists wankers and London doesn't want them.

Mind, no other poor fucker needs folk like them either so they should just fuck right off. Their attitude makes me so damn angry.

He deserves the same fair chance to prove himself as mayor that we would give to any Christian, Jew, follower of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Jedi Knight.
He sounds socially liberal - his speeches over the last few years are very inclusive to all religions & races, very supportive of womens' rights and same sex marriage. Very tough on anti-semitism.