The Verdict [False]
London Mayor Sadiq Khan never urged his constituents to learn Arabic, and the claim circulating online is false
The Claim
On November 6, Kelvin Mackenzie, former editor of The Sun, a well-known British tabloid, published a post on X (formerly Twitter), claimed that London Mayor Sadiq Khan urged his constituents to learn Arabic to maintain harmony with immigrants in England.
The claim has been widely shared on Facebook, and one of these posts amassed over 3,300 views. A similar claim was also circulated in 2020. An archive version of the post can be viewed here. In most iterations, the claim was accompanied by expletives directed toward Khan, written in faux-Arabic style font.
However, we found that Khan never made such a claim.
In Fact
Logically Facts found no evidence that Khan had said any such phrase or similar statement, nor did the claim appear to be taken out of context. However, in 2017, he publicly urged immigrants to learn English. He said, “My message is very simple, rather than translating documents into a different language, I would rather get people to learn English. Proverb for you: give someone a fish, feed them for a day. Teach them how to fish, feed them for life. Learn English, and you’re made for life.”
We contacted the mayor’s office for comment, and they told us that these “posts are nonsense. The mayor has never said that.”
Although born in England, Khan has Pakistani roots, where the native language is Urdu, not Arabic.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
The verdict
The claim circulating online is false. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, never urged his constituents to learn Arabic to get along with immigrants.
Reference Links
“Who is Sadiq Khan, the Pakistani-origin Mayor of London now re-elected to the post?,” The Indian Express – Refutes
“‘Learn English and you’re made’ Sadiq Khan says immigrants must assimilate to British life,” Express – Refutes
People’s Question Time, Sutton, 7 March 2017 – Refutes
This article is written by Kari Nixon and republished from Logically Facts. Read the original article here.