Zohran Mamdani’s NYC mayoral campaign backed by controversial Muslim network

When New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani stepped to the microphone outdoors the Islamic Cultural Middle of the Bronx final week close to Yankee Stadium, his voice broke as he spoke about “the reminiscence of my aunt who stopped taking the subway after Sept. 11 as a result of she didn’t really feel secure.”

Behind him, a Yemeni-American educator in sun shades named Debbie Almontaser nodded. 

Virtually 20 years in the past, in 2007, she was pressured to resign as principal of a metropolis college after defending a T-shirt with the slogan “Intifada NYC.” 

Metropolis officers seen it as a name to violence. She mentioned it was benign. Her case turned a rallying cry for Muslim American activists who forged her as a victim of “Islamophobia.”

FBI AGENTS FROM ’93 WTC ATTACK BLAST MAMDANI FOR EMBRACING RADICAL IMAM

Now, Almontaser was again, this time as a senior advisor to Emgage Motion and a board member of Yemeni American Retailers Affiliation Motion, two of 110 political nonprofits, community groups and political action committees backing Mamdani as he alleges “Islamophobia” towards him. Just lately, when critics questioned Mamdani’s ties to hardline Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj, she sprang to motion, serving to to prepare a protest to defend Wahhaj. 

That speedy, coordinated response captured the modus operandi of a community of political operatives and clerics intertwined with the shared mission of catapulting Mamdani into the mayor’s workplace.

Mamdani’s background diverges from lots of his co-religionists. In an interview, he mentioned he’s a Khoja Shia Muslim, a part of a small, comparatively liberal sect with roots in India. A lot of his New York-area allies are religiously strict Sunni Muslims who observe extra conservative interpretations of the religion. However they discover widespread floor in politics.

“It’s a classy fusion of faith, politics and identification,” mentioned Mansour Al-Hadj, a Washington-based researcher on Muslim political actions and extremism. “The identical networks that after centered on group companies at the moment are mobilizing voters and producing candidates. That is how political Islam adapts inside democracy.”

Mansour Al-Hadj, a Washington, D.C.,-based researcher on Muslim political actions and extremism, warns of radical forces backing Zohran Mamdani’s bid to be mayor of New York Metropolis. (Mansour Al-Hadj)

Mamdani’s God Squad contains about just a few dozen key gamers who focus on portray any critique as an assault on their religion, accusing critics of Islamophobia whilst lots of them have engaged in strident rhetoric towards the U.S., Israel and capitalism.

The Authentic Imam: America is “filthy and sick”

Mamdani set off a firestorm Oct. 7 when he walked into Masjid At-Taqwa in Brooklyn and later posted a photograph of himself beaming beside the mosque’s imam, or prayer chief, Wahhaj.

Zohran Mamdani meets Imam Siraj Wahhaj and Yusef Abdus Salaam Oct. 17, 2025. (@ZohranKMamdani/X)

The imam’s checkered previous goes again a long time. In a 1992 talk, he mentioned American Muslims ought to elect an “emir” fairly than select between George Bush and Invoice Clinton. Quickly after, he served as a personality witness within the trial of Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, the so-called “Blind Sheikh” convicted for plotting the 1993 World Commerce Middle bombing that killed six folks. 

“You already know what this nation is?” Wahhaj said in 1995. “It’s a rubbish can. Filthy. Filthy and sick.”

In 2018, three of Wahhaj’s youngsters have been arrested after authorities discovered 11 malnourished youngsters in a New Mexico compound tied to his household; a grandchild had died in what authorities described as an tried exorcism. He told native information reporters, “No matter they did fallacious … it isn’t acceptable to us.”

The Youth Imam: Resist “by any means needed”

In New York, the Muslim American Society just lately signed on to a letter to problem “unmistakably Islamophobic, anti-Black, and xenophobic” assaults on Mamdani. Signatories included CAIR Nationwide, the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ New York chapter, Islamic Circle of North America’s New York chapter, the Islamic Middle of 5 Cities, Muslim American Society of New York, Muslim Neighborhood Community, Rockaway Islamic Middle and a “Syosset Muslim Neighborhood.”

Members of the Muslim American Society have lengthy been fast to accuse others of Islamophobia whilst they unabashedly name for violence towards their perceived enemies.

At an Eid celebration earlier this yr, a cleric on the Muslim American Society forged Muslims as victims worldwide. Mohammad Badawi, youth director on the Muslim American Society, declared the local people’s pleasure would solely be full when Muslims are “victorious worldwide,” including they’d have fun “after the destruction of the illegitimate Zionist occupiers,” Israel.

He recurrently organizes anti-Israel protests in a marketing campaign towards “injustice and oppression.” At one protest, Badawi urged youth to “fight back” towards injustices “by any means needed.”

The Avenue Protester: “Globalize the intifada”

Abdullah Akl, a charismatic organizer with the Muslim American Society Youth Middle, leads many protests below the banner of “Inside Our Lifetime,” with founder Nerdeen Kiswani. Mamdani joined them earlier than his run for mayor.

Akl calls the road protests “sacred activism,” a mixture of religion and resistance that may “free Palestine.” For the reason that Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel, the Muslim American Society Youth Middle has organized prayer protests on Wall Street outdoors the New York Inventory Alternate and street protests for “Nakba Day,” calling the day Israel was created a “disaster,” and youth-led demonstrations outdoors BlackRock.

Akl turned a subway automotive right into a protest zone with chants of “Globalize the intifada… There is just one resolution: intifada revolution.”

When the New York Police Division arrested Akl and different activists, the Council on American-Islamic Relation’s New York chapter despatched out a press release demanding their launch.

In the course of the Oct. 7 protests this yr towards Israel, Akl shouted, “We didn’t act sufficient! We’ll present up, stronger than we did the primary Oct. 7.” In response to criticism, he posted a message on social media, doubling down and saying, “Saying we didn’t act sufficient to cease a full blown genocide towards palestinians [sic] is incitement?? Saying we should be louder and protest extra and proceed to talk up for gaza [sic] is against the law? Zionist tears as soon as once more for probably the most documented genocide in fashionable historical past.”

CAIR: ‘We’ll train these of us a lesson’

For many years, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has served as an aggressive and litigious watchdog for a number of Muslim figures and causes, typically on the forefront of preventing professional bigotry. However CAIR has additionally courted controversy. 

Federal prosecutors named CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal terrorism-financing case towards the Holy Land Basis, a nonprofit based mostly in Texas. In 2008, 5 Holy Land leaders have been convicted of funneling $12.4 million to Hamas. In the end, no CAIR officers have been charged within the case.

Years in the past, Mamdani recorded rap lyrics celebrating the “Holy Land 5,” urging listeners, “My like to the Holy Land 5. You higher look ‘em up.” 

Basim Elkarra, government director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations California chapter and one of many founders of a brand new 501(c)(4) nonprofit, CAIR Action Inc., now appears to be pursuing a brand new and fully authorized technique of financing causes, taking a web page from the highly effective pro-Israel political motion committee AIPAC. He told a gathering of the Islamic Circle of North America, “AIPAC has had the run for 60 years, however it’s over now.

“We’ll train these of us a lesson … we’re coming.” In another speech, he mentioned, “The sport has modified. AIPAC has been round since 1961…and now they’ve a formidable foe!”

The Former Al-Jazeera Host: ‘Make American Planes Crash Once more’

This summer season, Mehdi Hasan, a former host at Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV community, sat down with Mamdani for a sympathetic interview. Because the marketing campaign heated up, Hasan turned a full-time defender on social media, swatting at critics and framing Mamdani because the right kind of provocateur, a “as soon as in a era political expertise.”

Mehdi Hasan speaks onstage through the Crooked Media — Lovett or Go away It: Stay on Tour, April 25, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Paul Morigi/Getty Photos for Crooked Media)

Hasan’s own record contains sermons likening non-Muslims to “animals” and evaluating homosexual folks to “sexual deviants.” He has mentioned his views have grow to be extra progressive since then.

After a sequence of aircraft crashes earlier this yr, Hasan wrote on social media, “Make American Planes Crash Once more.” 

He deleted the message amid criticism and mentioned, “I deleted this sarcastic quote-tweet as a result of MAGA and Islamophobic of us are clipping it out of context and attempting to ridiculously recommend I’m inciting violence. I used to be clearly mocking the MAGA slogan ‘Make America… Once more’ slogan and highlighting the stunning variety of aircraft crashes below Trump and the FAA cuts. However this tweet was in poor style, poorly worded, and has allowed folks in dangerous religion to name me a terrorist…”

The World Imam: Learn ‘The Hoax of the Holocaust’

Yasir Qadhi, a high-profile American imam and founding father of the AlMaghrib Institute and MuslimMatters.com, promoting the puritanical Salafi interpretation of Islam, actually wrote the e book on “Understanding Salafism.” Just lately, he posted a two-part thread on X endorsing the concept of Mamdani’s win as a “civilizational victory.”

Yasir Qadhi, a high-profile American imam and founding father of the AlMaghrib Institute and MuslimMatters.com, has inspired assist for Mamdani for his “brave stand towards Zionism,” amongst different issues. (Getty Photos)

He urged Muslim Individuals to maneuver past “naive” spiritual critiques of politicians who’re extra socially progressive than they’re comfy.

In the meantime, Qadhi as soon as mocked European Jews as “white, crooked nostril, blonde hairs” and “not a Semitic folks.” In the identical lecture, he recommended a e book, “The Hoax of the Holocaust.”

Most just lately, he has backed the controversial Muslim housing improvement outdoors Dallas, “EPIC Metropolis.” He famous in his Instagram put up, “open to non-Individuals as properly.”

He touted a few of its options, writing, “Islamic faculties, school, masjid.”

The Well-liked Chaplain: Construct ‘Our Personal Area’

Imam Khalid Latif is a well-liked chaplain on the Islamic Center of New York City, a $22 million challenge to construct a hub and “our personal area” on Sixth Avenue for younger Muslim professionals. He endorsed Mamdani earlier this yr and has been an ardent supporter. He has referred to as him “a bearer of compassion in a time the place it’s far too uncommon.”

Imam Khalid Latif, proven right here talking at Lincoln Middle in 2022, is the chaplain on the Islamic Middle of New York Metropolis. He endorsed Mamdani earlier this yr. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Photos)

In 2012, Latif led a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia that included Omar Mateen, who would later homicide 49 folks on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the deadliest anti-LGBTQ assault in U.S. historical past. He has denied radicalizing Mateen, and he hasn’t confronted the identical sort of allegations that encompass different imams.

After the backlash to Mamdani’s assembly with Wahhaj, he posted, “Joyful birthday to my brother Zohran… Preserve displaying them who we’re by displaying them who you might be.” 

He invoked the divine to bless Mamdani’s mission, revealing the fusion of faith and politics for the Mamdani God Squad: “Could your thirty fourth yr be considered one of readability, braveness, and closeness — to your objective, your folks, and your Creator,” ending with the Arabic phrase for amen, “Ameen.”

On Monday, Latif posted a sassy video from the Muslim Democratic Membership of New York, saying, “The title is Mamdani, M-a-m-d-a-n-i,” with Latif mouthing the half the place the narration turns to, “You need to learn to say it.”

That day, Latif delivered a speech to assist Mamdani, pivoting to allege Mamdani was now a sufferer of “anti-Black racism,” saying, “Anti-Muslim sentiment is all the time” a logo of “anti-Black racism.”

The ‘House Woman in a Hijab’ from Brooklyn: ‘I want I may take their vagina away’

In a glowing portrait, The New York Occasions referred to as Palestinian American political organizer Linda Sarsour a “Brooklyn house lady in a hijab.” Over nearly a decade, she has been a political mentor to Mamdani, inviting him into the Muslim Democratic Membership of New York, which she co-founded. She later endorsed his race for the New York Common Meeting, which he received.

Activist Linda Sarsour speaks earlier this yr on the Lights for Liberty vigil held in protest of the Trump administration’s ICE actions. (Erik McGregor/LightRocket through Getty Photos)

All of the whereas, she has been a polarizing determine, as soon as saying about two critics, creator and ex-Muslim Ayaan Hirsi Ali and activist Brigitte Gabriel, “I want I may take their vagina away  – they don’t need to be ladies.” Ali is a survivor of feminine genital mutilation, a observe that includes slicing the clitoris of a younger lady with the concept it would inhibit sexual promiscuity.

As a co-founder of the Ladies’s March, Sarsour stepped down amid criticism of alleged antisemitism and never welcoming Jewish feminists who assist the state of Israel, or “Zionists.”

At a rally on Sunday night with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Imam Latif instructed 13,000 folks, “That is our metropolis. That is our second.”

Some Muslims beg to vary. 

“It’s not our second,” mentioned Al-Hadj. 

“Throughout the boroughs, the Mamdani God Squad is banging a drumbeat of grievance after grievance, from Staten Island to Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Lengthy Island,” he mentioned. “Throughout town’s Muslim establishments, you hear the identical drumbeat: They smeared us. They silenced us. They concern us.

“In that rising quantity, one thing is misplaced: Muslim pluralism. The God Squad doesn’t converse for each Muslim in New York — nor for each Shia, each Sunni, each immigrant household, or each second-generation child attempting to string religion and freedom. It speaks for a coalition dedicated to intolerant ends, with socialist seize of metropolis politics on the one hand and puritanical spiritual rhetoric on the opposite. They insist that to oppose them is to betray the group, so they really push their very own tyranny.” 

Win or lose subsequent week, Al-Hadj mentioned, the Mamdani God Squad had actualized the phrases that had gotten Almontaser into a lot bother years in the past: “Intifada NYC.”