Humza Yousaf has become the first Muslim national leader in any Western democracy after being confirmed as first minister of Scotland. Yousaf's appointment reflects the accelerating diversification of politics in Britain, a country whose imperialist past has forged a multiethnic present. The milestone comes five months after the UK got its first Hindu leader in Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Britain's capital city is headed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the son of Pakistani immigrants.
Humza Yousaf, a Muslim and descendant of Pakistani immigrants, has been elected as the new leader of Scotland's governing party, the Scottish National Party. Yousaf, who is currently Scotland's health minister, beat two other Scottish lawmakers in a contest to replace First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. He now faces the challenge of uniting his party and reenergizing the push for independence from the United Kingdom. Yousaf has promised to push forward a controversial bill to make it easier for Scottish people to legally change their gender and will ask the Conservative government in London for authorization to hold a new referendum.
