So recently The Donald went and made yet another crass and objectionable comment which, unfortunately he thought to be a generous and expansive one indicative of bonhomie and good will. In his rather limited understanding of things, he may have been surprised at the rebuff that greeted his patronizing and offensive comment; because the Donald doesn’t usually get how the average thinking individual finds most of what he says insensitive and downright offensive. Here’s what happened when Donald Trump received a fitting reply to his Sadiq Khan comment.
The Donald made another dim-witted comment, this one about London’s new mayor
Remember how the Donald said this sometime back? Well when London’s new mayor had remarked how he would not be able to visit the USA if Trump became president, Trump generously said that exceptions would be made.
Sadiq Khan is a British Politician of Pakistani descent; reportedly his father was a bus driver. Khan was recently elected the mayor of London after having served as the Member of Parliament from the Tooting constituency for over a decade from 2005 to 2016 and has a background in human rights law as a solicitor.
So our man Trump made what he must have imagined was a generous and expansive offer when he deigned to exclude the recently appointed mayor of London from his proposed ban on Muslims entering the United States. The Donald said that the new mayor of London could be an exception to the No Muslims ban that he has proposed and doggedly stuck by subsequently.
Khan said “Thanks, but no thanks”
Sadiq Khan politely but categorically rejected the Donald’s offer saying that the ban proposed by the republican presumptive nominee, if put in place would directly impact his friends, family and many people closest to him. The sort of thing proposed by Trump would impact everyone with backgrounds similar to his, said Khan. He added that the Donald’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.”
The Donald’s undoubtedly ignorant views have been criticized as “unhinged” by his own republican rival Jeb Bush. The Donald was also described as “divisive, stupid and wrong” by British PM David Cameron. Well who am I to disagree?
What did you expect Mr. Trump? A thank you?
The question does beg to be asked… did the Donald imagine that his ignorant, dim and unfortunate comment would be welcomed by Sadiq Khan? Did he imagine that Khan would express this abject gratitude at such largesse being doled out to those few individuals that the Donald deemed to be “not a terrorist in spite of being Muslim”? Did he think that Khan was so desperate to visit the US that he would forgive and gloss over the bigotry, ignorance and the frankly offensive nature of practically everything that the Donald says about his community as well as so many others?
Did the Donald seriously expect Khan to say “Thanks so much Mr. Trump; I’ll just be packing my bags for my next American visit if you need me”? And I have to ask myself yet again (as I do each day in recent times), What the hell are you thinking America?
Author – Reena Daruwalla
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