London mayor: Trump's views on Islam 'ignorant'
LONDON Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Sunday that it would be wrong for Britain to host US President Donald Trump on a state visit, describing some of the US leader's views on Islam as "ignorant".
Mr Khan and Mr Trump have a history. During the US presidential election campaign, Mr Khan was among many people who spoke out against Mr Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the US, an idea he said would play into the hands of extremists.
Mr Trump has criticised Mr Khan, accusing the London mayor of making a "pathetic excuse" over his statement urging Londoners not to be alarmed by the presence of additional police on the streets in response to an attack in June.
At the annual conference of his opposition Labour Party, Mr Khan told an audience with GuardianLive that he thought having a state visit, which Prime Minister Theresa May has said is still planned, was "wrong".
"I sometimes think people are ignorant," he said, adding that it was his job to educate them. He also said police had thwarted seven attacks by militants since March this year, describing the increase in the number as a shift rather than a spike.
Speaking at the conference, Mr Khan also said the police needed more funds to help them counter such attacks and that Internet companies must do more to crack down on extremist content.
"Between March this year and now, there have been four attacks but seven have been thwarted," he told a Guardian Live event.
Earlier this month, the head of the city's police force said six militant plots had been foiled over the last several months. - REUTERS
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