Nadine Osman
Islamophobic abuse targeting the Mayor of London has surged dramatically, more than doubling in the past year, according to new research commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA). The analysis underscores how the London Mayor, a vocal critic of online hate, continues to be a focal point for racist and Islamophobic rhetoric.
The findings in the report titled Measuring Islamophobia Online 2015-2025 reveal that nearly 28,000 social media posts last year referenced Sadiq Khan alongside Islamophobic phrases—an alarming rise from 12,000 the previous year and more than eight times the number recorded in 2022. This year alone, Khan has already been mentioned in connection with Islamophobic terms 2,180 times.
Much of this abuse was traced to X (formerly Twitter), with the platform responsible for 89% of Islamophobic posts about Khan since 2015. A record number of posts originating from the UK targeted Khan in the past year, further cementing X’s role in amplifying online hate speech.
Khan, who has long championed efforts to combat online abuse, has described the resurgence of the far-right as a “century-defining challenge”. He has been particularly critical of X’s owner, Elon Musk, accusing him of exacerbating the problem by reinstating banned far-right figures, including Tommy Robinson.
The Mayor has repeatedly called for tougher legislation on harmful content, arguing that the UK’s Online Safety Act—which regulates illegal content—should be “the floor, not the ceiling” in the fight against online abuse.
Despite the recent surge in Islamophobic posts, the peak of online attacks against Khan occurred in 2019, when nearly 42,000 messages flooded social media. However, researchers note that this spike was primarily influenced by misinformation related to Kashmir and protests at the Indian High Commission in London, which triggered a wave of hostile posts from India.
Experts argue that Khan’s Muslim identity makes him an easy target for Islamophobic conspiracy theories. Patrik Hermansson, a senior researcher at Hope Not Hate, stated that the London Mayor is frequently accused of accelerating the city’s demographic shift as part of a wider anti-migrant and Islamophobic narrative.
> “There is a conspiracy theory that London is being turned into a Muslim-majority city and that Khan is actively facilitating this,” Hermansson explained.
These narratives have been fuelled by figures like Donald Trump, who has a history of attacking Khan. In 2017, Trump labelled him a “national disgrace”, claiming he was “destroying the city”. A year later, the former US President appeared to blame Khan for rising crime, saying: “I think he has done a bad job on crime… If you look at all of the horrible things going on there, with all of the crime that is being brought in.”
At the time, David Lammy, now the UK’s Foreign Secretary, accused Trump of being a “racist” who “hates that London chose a Muslim mayor”. However, since taking office, Lammy has softened his stance, recently stating that Trump is “someone we can build a relationship within our national interest”.
The growing hostility towards Khan has also found its way into domestic politics. Charlie Mullins, the millionaire founder of Pimlico Plumbers and a donor to the Reform UK party, was recently warned that his OBE could be revoked due to inflammatory comments about Khan.
Mullins was suspended from X in 2023 after saying “someone should kill” the Mayor during a discussion about Khan’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) expansion. He later apologised unreservedly for the remark but continued to make Islamophobic statements, including a post saying, “It’s time to dump the Muslim mayor.”
The Honours Forfeiture Committee condemned Mullins for “bringing the honours system into disrepute”. However, after pledging to undergo “gender sensitivity and diversity training”, Mullins was told no action would be taken—though he was warned that any future incidents could trigger a new investigation.
A source close to the Mayor said, “The Mayor is extremely concerned about the impact of hateful and abusive content online. This kind of content can have devastating real-life consequences, and it’s a problem which is getting worse not better. The Mayor is concerned that his treatment is discouraging young minority Brits from getting involved in politics or public life, meaning we’re losing a lot of talent. It could be having a chilling effect on ethnic minorities putting their head above the parapet.
“The Mayor is calling for both more action from social media companies to protect their users and stronger regulation from Governments to ensure they fulfil their responsibilities.”
(Photo credit: Steve Eason/Flickr Commons)
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