Melanie Phillips, the brilliantly acerbic British commentator, published a book a few years ago titled, “Londonistan.” Phillips was aghast at what she saw as the increasing Islamization of her home city, as well as its warm embrace by the British elites, and the short shrift given to the connection between Islamization and terrorism. Her book was an effort to warn those who were not paying attention that the British character of London was changing. It was not becoming more international, but instead simply more Islamist. It was not a change she saw as positive.

Some critics claimed Phillips was being an alarmist, others tarred her with the very worst thing anyone can be called these days: a racist.

But it does appear that what would have been derided as racist parody had Phillips written it, the schoolgirl excitement exuded by London’s political leadership in expressing London’s global role as an Islamic finance hub prove Phillips’ warnings in spades.

On Wednesday, July 3, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson announced at a press conference in London’s City Hall that his city will be the first non-Muslim city to host the annual World Islamic Economic Forum. It will be held in October, at London’s Excel Centre. Johnson was joined at the press conference by the prime minister of Malaysia, Dato Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak (yes, all that is his name), WIEF Chairman Tun Musa Hitam, and England’s Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Stephen Green.

The WIEF has been previously held in Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Kuwait, and Pakistan.

“It is an immense honor that the World Islamic Economic Forum has chosen London for its first gathering outside of Asia, said London’s Mayor Johnson. Hosting this conference will highlight London’s “status as a major center of Islamic finance and as a compelling destination for foreign investors.”