“A CHRISTIAN COULD NEVER BE ELECTED MAYOR IN A MUSLIM CITY!”
Since Sadiq Khan’s election as the first Muslim Mayor of London, many people have suggested that no Muslim city would ever be open-minded enough to elect a Christian as mayor or to any other high office. Umm, really? What about the following:
* The Turkish city of Mardin recently elected its first female Christian mayor, Februniye Akyol. Turkey is 96.5% Muslim.
* The mayor of Ramallah, the capital of Palestine, is Janet Mikhail, a Roman Catholic.
* The capital of the world’s most populous Muslim country, Indonesia, has a Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaya Purnama. Indonesia is 87.2% Muslim.
* In 2005 Alees Salman became the first Christian and first woman to chair Bahrain’s upper house of Parliament. Bahrain is 70% Muslim.
* Pakistan currently has a Christian minister of ports and shipping, Kamran Michael. Pakistan is 96.4% Muslim.
* Boutros Boutros Ghali, a coptic Christian and former head of the UN, was Egypt’s Foreign Minister for 14 years. Egypt is 90% Muslim.
* Senegal had a Catholic president, Léopold Sédar Senghor, for 20 years. Senegal is 92% Muslim.
* Lebanon had a Christian president, Michel Suleiman, from 2008-2014. Lebanon is 54% Muslim.
