The first Muslim mayor of the New York City, Sadiq Khan endorsed the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for the United States president, citing that, the anti-Muslim views like those espoused by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump "plays into the hands" of Islamic State.

Mr. Khan said during a stop in Chicago on his first visit to the United States, that, he was "a big fan" of Clinton and hoped she would win the presidential election in November.

He said in his speech that, “She's arguably the most experienced candidate to run to be the president." "As the father of two daughters, I think the message it sends when the most powerful politician in the world is a woman is phenomenal, and hope she wins," said Khan.

Khan did not mention Trump by name during his roughly 45-minute speech before the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, but attacked the positions the New York developer has staked, such as tightening Muslim immigration into the United States.

"I think to suggest somehow that Muslims aren't welcome in the USA, to suggest somehow that being a Muslim isn't compatible with being western, unintentionally plays into the hands of daesh or so-called ISIS," Khan added.

Donald Trump has offered an evolving stance on Muslim immigration into the US since his original December 2015 call for a ban on Muslims entering the country.

Earlier, he voiced support for limiting the ban to only countries with known terrorist links. Last month, he appeared to moderate somewhat on an outright ban by touting the idea of the United States undertaking “extreme vetting” of incoming Muslim immigrants, refugees or visitors.

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Nandini