UK district has first female Muslim mayor

Sandwell Council, a metropolitan borough in the UK’s West Midlands, has appointed its first female Muslim mayor.

Councilor Syeda Khatun will take over as Mayor of Sandwell for 2024/25 following a ceremony in Oldbury on Tuesday.

The long-serving Sandwell councilor was first elected in 1999, becoming the first Bangladeshi woman elected in the Midlands region and the first Muslim woman to win a seat on Sandwell Council.

At Tuesday night’s full council meeting, Cllr Khatun said she was “very humbled and honoured” to become the borough’s first citizen.

On becoming Mayor, Cllr Khatun said: “This is a great privilege and honor and my promise to everyone is that I will keep this honor and make Sandwell proud.

“I am Sandwell’s first female Muslim mayor, which helps to reflect our diverse population in the borough and I feel very proud to represent everyone in Sandwell.”

Votes of thanks were also passed to Councilor Bill Gavan and Deputy Mayor Councilor Elaine Giles at the ceremony.

Cllr Khatun’s daughter Syeda Hasna will serve as Mayor.

The mayor will raise money for children’s charity Acorns and the Yemen Community Association’s Let’s Talk Hope project.

Acorns provides a network of palliative care and support for life-limited and at-risk children and their families. (Halesowen News)