Donald Trump made an exception to his blanket exclusion of all Muslims from the United States yesterday, suggesting that Sadiq Khan, the new Mayor of London, might be allowed to set foot on US soil
Khan, however, has vocally rejected Trump’s offer.
In an interview with the New York Times, Trump applauded Khan’s win and said there were “always exceptions” to the religiously defined ban which bars an entire religion on the basis of their shared faith.
“I think it’s a very good thing, and I hope he does a very good job because frankly that would be very, very good,” Trump told the Times of Khan’s election. He added that “you lead by example” and noted that “frankly if he does a great job, that would be a terrific thing.”
Sadiq Khan has just made Donald Trump look more absurd than any US politician has.
— George Eaton (@georgeeaton) 10 May 2016
Responding to the comments today, however, Khan rejected the idea that he might be a rare exception to a policy that categorises 22% of the world's population and restricts their movement on the basis of their faith .
“This isn’t just about me – it’s about my friends, my family and everyone who comes from a background similar to mine, anywhere in the world,” he said.
“Donald Trump’s ignorant view of Islam could make both our countries less safe – it risks alienating mainstream Muslims around the world and plays into the hands of the extremists.”
Khan had commented in an interview to Time magazine that he hoped to visited the United States to learn from the work of mayors in New York and Chicago, but that he would be prevented from doing so under a Trump Presidency.
