London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on Thursday rejected Donald Trump’s recent statement that there was an impulse to apply the Islamic Sharia law in London, describing it as “nonsense” and defending the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in rare criticism of the president of the United States.
Trump earlier this week at the United Nations delivered a radical criticism of immigration policies in Europe. He pointed out the capital of the United Kingdom, saying “now they want to go to Sharia law” and calling Khan a “terrible and terrible mayor.”
“The idea of the introduction of Sharia’s law makes no sense and Sadiq Khan is a very good man,” Starmer told ITV London. He added that there are few things in which Trump does not agree, “but I am very clear, this is one of them.”
Khan, who represents the Starmer Center-Labor Labor Party, in 2016 became the first Muslim chosen for the mayor of London. Since then, he has won two more elections and has the greatest personal mandate of any British politician.
The comments of the president of the United States in the General Assembly were the last of a long public dispute between Trump and Khan that dates back to at least 2017, when Khan criticized Trump for promising a prohibition of traveling in several Muslim majority countries.
Starmer, a technocrat and a socialist self -proclaimed, and Trump, a proudly unpredictable Republican, have generally overcome their differences to develop a good working relationship.
Trump’s criticisms on Tuesday occurred only one week after he praised the American-British relationship during a second state visiting unprecedented to Great Britain that involved Royal Pomp, including a carriage tour and a white spike banquet.
Khan responded to Trump’s comments this week accusing him of being “racist, sexist, misogynist and Islamophobic.” He pointed out data that shows that a record number of Americans is being established in Britain.
