SAdiq Khan is no stranger to racist abuse. As one of Britain’s most prominent Muslim politicians, he is the target of both opposition politicians and online trolls. But this week was different, he said. It was the first time his own daughters had been scared.
As the Mayor of London reflected on the events of the past ten days, he could not help but think of the long and dark memories of his generation of hostile nationalist groups such as the BNP and the National Front.
“What breaks my heart is that my children’s generation never experienced what I experienced,” he said. “And they were afraid for the first time. I thought I was the last generation to be afraid, just because of who I am. And that breaks my heart.”
“I grew up in the 1970s and 80s and experienced the National Front and the BNP, and I thought that was behind us,” Khan said. “Like many people of my generation, I felt particularly provoked by the events of the last few weeks.”
“It’s hard to explain the impact of being targeted because of your religion or the colour of your skin, and you can’t change either of those things. And whether you witness physical violence in the north-west or the north-east, you feel it in London.”
The images of anti-fascist protesters filling the streets of London on Wednesday night were “a source of pride”, he said. But he added that there was fear in minority communities that the wider population might interpret these images as a sign that the fight was over. Many were still afraid to leave the house or go to the mosque wearing a headscarf, he said.
“People are thinking twice about going to the mosque tomorrow or Friday prayers… are you taking your children?” he said. “Are you asking your boss if you can work from home because you are concerned about using public transport?”
Khan, who met teenagers as part of Chelsea FC’s anti-racism programme, said there was a renewed need for vigilance – particularly this coming weekend. “I don’t know how anyone can just put their hand on their heart and say the worst is behind us, ‘mission accomplished’,” he said.
“It was fantastic and I am proud to see thousands of people come together yesterday. People from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, different religions and different faiths, showing unity and solidarity to those of us who have been targeted. Yesterday was a failure (for the far right) … (but) they will continue to try to divide our communities.”
Khan has often been the target of hate messages online, including death threats and deepfake audio files, particularly in recent months over his clean air policies and low emission zone fees, which have been repeatedly attacked by the Conservatives.
The Mayor of London said the unrest following the spread of false information about the suspected perpetrator of the murders of three young girls in a dance club in Southport had shown the need for regulatory reform.
“The way the algorithms work, the way misinformation and disinformation can spread very quickly … that is a cause for concern, we have seen a direct consequence of that,” he said. “I think the government should look very quickly at whether the Online Safety Act is serving its purpose. I think it is not serving its purpose.”
However, Khan said he was “realistic” that politicians would need to continue using the platform and he would not support a boycott. “One way to allay people’s fears is to use the medium that citizens use, which is social media,” he said.
He warned that politicians are also vulnerable to disinformation and are guilty of spreading false information. “They are adding fuel to the fire that has led to some of the things we’ve seen across the country over the last week,” he said, without directly pointing fingers at anyone else.
“I find it offensive that a politician from the establishment society would try to exploit the horror and tragedy of the murder of three little girls to spread his own view of society. And that is exactly what happened.”
One politician Khan wants to attack directly is Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister and frontrunner for the Conservative leadership. Jenrick said on Tuesday he was angry about the policing of the pro-Gaza demonstrations and questioned why protesters shouting “Allahu Akbar” – which means “God is great” – were not being arrested.
“I think someone who aspires to the leadership of the Conservative Party and therefore also to the position of prime minister should have some basic knowledge of one of the largest religions in the world and in our country,” Khan said.
“His comments are so offensive, so hurtful, so dangerous. It’s like someone saying we should ban the word hallelujah. Just think about how ridiculous that statement is. It’s not a sufficient excuse to say that it’s just because of the conservative leadership (race), that’s not a sufficient excuse. I think Robert will think about it. And you know, he’ll do the decent thing, I hope, and apologize.”