Grok said:-
Determining the exact number of Muslim mayors in the UK is challenging due to the lack of comprehensive public records on the religion of mayors, particularly for ceremonial civic and town mayors. However, I can provide an estimate based on available data, distinguishing between **directly elected mayors** (with executive powers) and **ceremonial mayors** (civic, lord, or town mayors). The analysis draws from web sources, fact-checking reports, and posts on X, while noting that some claims may be misleading or outdated.
### 1. **Directly Elected Mayors (England)**
- As of May 2024, there are **12 metro mayors** (leading combined authorities) and approximately **16 local authority mayors** with executive powers, totaling **28 directly elected mayors** in England. By May 2025, this is expected to increase to **32** with four new metro mayors.
- **Known Muslim directly elected mayors**:
- **Sadiq Khan**, Mayor of London (elected 2016, re-elected 2021 and 2024).[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadiq_Khan)
- **Rokhsana Fiaz**, Mayor of Newham (elected 2018, re-elected 2022).[](https://muslimnews.co.uk/newspaper/elections/400-muslim-councillors-elected-england/)
- **Lutfur Rahman**, Mayor of Tower Hamlets (elected 2010–2015 as independent, re-elected 2022).[](https://muslimnews.co.uk/newspaper/elections/400-muslim-councillors-elected-england/)
- **Estimated number**: At least **3 Muslim directly elected mayors** out of 28. Claims on X suggesting up to 16 Muslim mayors in major cities are inaccurate, as most listed cities (e.g., Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield) do not have directly elected mayors or their mayors are not Muslim.[](https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/viral-post-about-number-muslim-mayors-uk-is-misleading-2024-06-12/)
### 2. **Ceremonial Mayors (Civic, Lord, and Town Mayors)**
- There are an estimated **1,000–1,500 ceremonial mayors** across the UK, including civic mayors in England’s 317 principal local authorities, lord mayors in 28 cities, and town mayors in numerous parish/town councils. Scotland has ~32 provosts/lord provosts, Wales has ~100–200 civic mayors, and Northern Ireland has ~11–20 mayors.[](https://fullfact.org/news/muslims-uk-viral-poster-factchecked/)
- The religion of ceremonial mayors is not systematically recorded, but some Muslim mayors have been identified:
- **England**:
- **Lubna Arshad**, Lord Mayor of Oxford (2023–2024), the first Muslim woman and woman of color in this role.[](https://www.mwnhub.com/read-detail.php?id=190)
- **Nazma Rahman**, Mayor of Camden (2023–2024).[](https://www.mwnhub.com/read-detail.php?id=190)
- **Tafheen Sharif**, Civic Mayor of Tameside (2023–2024), the first Muslim British Pakistani in this role.[](https://www.mwnhub.com/read-detail.php?id=190)
- **Tahmina Saleem**, Mayor of Luton (2023–2024).[](https://factcheckhub.com/fact-checking-claims-about-islams-influence-in-the-united-kingdom/)
- **Zahid Chauhan**, Mayor of Oldham (2023–2024).[](https://factcheckhub.com/fact-checking-claims-about-islams-influence-in-the-united-kingdom/)
- **Shahin Ashraf**, Mayor of Solihull (2023–2024).[](https://factcheckhub.com/fact-checking-claims-about-islams-influence-in-the-united-kingdom/)
- **Shakil Ahmed**, Mayor of Rochdale (2023–2024).[](https://factcheckhub.com/fact-checking-claims-about-islams-influence-in-the-united-kingdom/)
- **Hamza Taouzzale**, Lord Mayor of Westminster (2022–2023), the first Muslim and youngest incumbent.[](https://muslimnews.co.uk/newspaper/elections/400-muslim-councillors-elected-england/)
- **Nasim Ali**, former Mayor of Camden (2003), the UK’s first Bangladeshi and Muslim mayor.[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Muslims)
- **Faisal Rashid**, former Mayor of Warrington (2016).[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_Muslims)
- Other areas like Blackburn, Birmingham, and Leeds have had Muslim ceremonial mayors in the past, but current mayors (e.g., Birmingham’s Lord Mayor Chaman Lal, a Sikh) are not Muslim.[](https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/viral-post-about-number-muslim-mayors-uk-is-misleading-2024-06-12/)[](https://fullfact.org/online/muslims-in-uk-facebook-list/)
- **Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland**:
- In Scotland, **Humza Yousaf** was a prominent Muslim political figure (former First Minister), but provosts are less likely to be Muslim due to demographic differences. No specific Muslim provosts are noted.
- In Wales and Northern Ireland, Muslim mayors are rare due to smaller Muslim populations, and no prominent examples are documented in recent data.
- **Estimated number**: Based on documented cases, there are likely **10–20 Muslim ceremonial mayors** at any given time in England, with historical examples in cities like London boroughs, Luton, Oldham, and Rochdale. This is a small fraction of the ~1,000–1,500 ceremonial mayors, reflecting the UK’s 6.5% Muslim population (3.9 million in 2021).[](https://factcheckhub.com/fact-checking-claims-about-islams-influence-in-the-united-kingdom/)[](https://fullfact.org/online/muslims-in-england-claim-repeated/)
### 3. **Addressing Viral Claims**
- Viral posts on X and web sources (e.g., since 2017) claim that cities like London, Birmingham, Leeds, Blackburn, Sheffield, Oxford, Luton, Oldham, and Rochdale all have Muslim mayors. These claims are **mostly false** or misleading:
- As of May 2024, only **London (Sadiq Khan)**, **Luton (Tahmina Saleem)**, and **Oldham (Zahid Chauhan)** had Muslim mayors among the listed cities.
- Birmingham, Leeds, and Sheffield have ceremonial mayors, not directly elected ones, and their current mayors are not Muslim (e.g., Birmingham’s Chaman Lal is Sikh).[](https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/viral-post-about-number-muslim-mayors-uk-is-misleading-2024-06-12/)[](https://fullfact.org/online/muslims-in-uk-facebook-list/)
- The claims conflate ceremonial and elected roles and exaggerate the number of Muslim mayors.[](https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/viral-post-about-number-muslim-mayors-uk-is-misleading-2024-06-12/)[](https://factcheckhub.com/fact-checking-claims-about-islams-influence-in-the-united-kingdom/)
- Fact-checking by Reuters and Full Fact confirms that only **5 of 9 listed cities** had Muslim mayors as of May 4, 2024, and some (e.g., Leeds, Sheffield) have never had Muslim directly elected mayors.[](https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/viral-post-about-number-muslim-mayors-uk-is-misleading-2024-06-12/)[](https://fullfact.org/news/muslims-uk-viral-poster-factchecked/)
### Summary
- **Directly elected Muslim mayors**: Approximately **3** out of 28 (Sadiq Khan, Rokhsana Fiaz, Lutfur Rahman), with a potential increase to 32 total mayors by May 2025.
- **Ceremonial Muslim mayors**: Likely **10–20** out of ~1,200–1,800 total UK mayors, based on documented cases in England. No prominent Muslim mayors are noted in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
- **Total Muslim mayors**: **13–23** across the UK, with the majority being ceremonial. This aligns with the Muslim population’s proportion (6.5%) and the diversity of local governance.
- **Caveats**: The exact number fluctuates annually due to ceremonial mayor appointments, and the religion of many mayors is not publicly recorded. Viral claims exaggerating Muslim mayor numbers are misleading and should be approached critically.[](https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/viral-post-about-number-muslim-mayors-uk-is-misleading-2024-06-12/)[](https://fullfact.org/online/muslims-in-england-claim-repeated/)
If you need a focus on a specific region or type of mayor, or want me to verify additional names, let me know!