These 8 Muslim-majority countries elected Christian leaders before London elected Sadiq Khan

Next time someone says a Muslim-majority country would never elect a Christian leader, direct them to this article

With Sadiq Khan’s election as the mayor of London, a new debate has erupted with many believing that a Muslim-majority city would never elect a Christian leader.

Q: In what ME Muslim country would you find a Christian mayor?
A: None
Take your sanctimony elsewhere. https://t.co/myv21DFLNv

— 🐾 Suzy 🐾 (@scout_nj) May 9, 2016

https://twitter.com/Talkposture/status/728782849915035648



One Facebook user, however, decided to set the record straight listing all the Muslim-majority countries that have Christian leaders on high-profile governing positions, including Pakistan.

[fbpost link="https://www.facebook.com/michaelfrost6/posts/10153765724421731"]



Here are the 8 Muslim countries that elected Christian leaders well before London elected Sadiq khan:

1. Februniye Akyol, co-mayor of Turkish city of Mardin. Turkey is 99.8 per cent Muslim.

Mardin’s co-mayor, Februniye Akyol, represents the new face of Christian political representation in southeast Turkey. Photo: Don Duncan via cnewa.org

2. Basuki Tjahaya Purnama, governor of Indonesia's capital city Jakarta. Indonesia is 87.2 per cent Muslim.

Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. Photo: Reuters



3. Alees Thomas Samaan, became the first Christian and first woman to chair Bahrain’s upper house of Parliament, the Shura Council in 2005. Bahrain is 70.3 per cent Muslim.

Alees Thomas Samaan (middle) Photo: Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Flikr via Independent

4. Kamran Michael, Pakistan’s minister of Ports and Shipping. Pakistan is 96.4 per cent Muslim.

Kamran Michael PHOTO: APP

5. Boutros Boutros Ghali was Egypt’s Foreign Minister for 14 years. Egypt is 90 per cent Muslim.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali PHOTO: REUTERS



6. Janet Michael was the mayor of the Palestinian city of Ramallah.

Janet Michael PHOTO: ARCHIVES.ORG VIA INDEPENDENT

7. Late Léopold Sédar Senghor was the president of Senegal for 20 years. Senegal is 95.4 per cent Muslim.

Léopold Sédar Senghor PHOTO: INDEPENDENT

8. Michel Suleiman was the president of Lebanon. Lebanon is 54 per cent Muslim.

Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman PHOTO: REUTERS

This article originally appeared on Independent