The New York City mayoral election is coming up in a few short days, and city that never sleeps is projected to elect its first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani's meteoric rise has made him one of the most prominent Muslims in the country. The charismatic young politician is quite open about his Islamic faith, both in what it means to him – and the level of backlash he’s received for it.
When Mamdani won an upset victory in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor earlier this year, he – and his faith – were suddenly vaulted into the spotlight.
Mamdani soon faced an onslaught of attacks for everything from how he prayed to how he eats. Elected officials in the U.S. House went so far as to suggest he be deported, then drafted legislation intended to do just that.
And as election day nears, the attacks on his faith have seemingly only ratcheted up. Is Islamophobia back in style, or is this just a new era of partisan politics?
An Onslaught of Attacks
Mamdani’s critics have not held back.
Some have tried to use 9/11 as an attack line on Mamdani, implying that his election would imperil the city once again.
Famous actors insinuated that Mamdani’s faith must mean he’s a secret homophobe.
Pundits weighed in, suggesting that Mamdani’s election could lead to some sort of Islamic takeover of American cities.
Even elected officials have attacked Mamdani’s faith, with some calling for him to be deported.
Mamdani’s Response
Mamdani addressed these criticisms in a recent video, which has since been viewed 25 million times.
“I will be a Muslim man in New York City,” Mamdani stated softly. “I will not change who I am, I will not change how I eat, I will not change the faith that I am proud to belong to. But there is one thing I will change: I will no longer look for myself in the shadows – I will find myself in the light.”
Mamdani also drew attention for comments about an aunt who no longer felt safe on the subway after 9/11:
Islamophobia on the Rise
Scholars say the attacks on Mamdani’s faith may constitute the biggest wave of Islamophobia since the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, when Muslims nationwide faced a wave of xenophobia, and in some cases, violence.
The Center for the Study of Organized Hate, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit which tracks hate speech, found the amount of online posts with anti-Muslim rhetoric skyrocketed after Mamdani’s upset primary win, and has only increased as the mayoral election looms.
“We found a huge spike in online hate and fear-mongering targeting Muslims in the aftermath of Mamdani’s primary win, blending racism, anti-Muslim bigotry, red-baiting, and anti-immigrant sentiment into one dangerous narrative,” said the organization’s executive director, Raqib Hameed Naik.
“Muslims were portrayed as threats to national security, incompatible with democracy, or as agents of an imagined foreign agenda.”
Can NYC Survive a Muslim Mayor?
Perhaps the bigotry is overblown. After all, in any controversy, the loudest critics are those who take the spotlight; many New Yorkers obviously have no issue with Mamdani's faith and are excited to vote for him.
Yet it's impossible to ignore the noise entirely. The hateful comments, comparisons, and insults clearly signal a distrust of Islam and its followers.
But popularity doesn't lie. If Mamdani comes out on top at the polls, as he is predicted to, New York – and America – will have to come to terms with a Muslim leading its most dynamic city.
How do you think this will play out?
11 comments
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
In my Secular Humanist Pantheist denomination of the Universal Life Church, when meeting with my Broken Arrow congregants, we discuss the covertness, of the Christian mandate that every Christian is supposed to love their neighbor as they love themselves. But we (my congregation and I) — the only neighbors Christians are required, by their particular Christian Church (to which they claim membership) to love, are their neighbors who attend the same Christian Church that they do. We who know that God and Nature are one and the same thing, are encouraged to respect everything else in Nature — unless it can (or will) harm them; and the more something can harm them, the greater the likelihood that that something has something to do with a mainstream religious faction.
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Robert James Ruhnke
It never went anywhere. Let’s stop pretending it did. Whilst I have a disdain for all the abrahamic religions, I still believe in freedom of religion. Which is what separates the pagan and abrahamic religions. The abrahamics destroy and demonize everything that isn’t there own.
I understand that if most of the abrahamic believers were as evil and willfully ignorant, as their worst believers tend to be, the world would be even worse than it is. I believe true coexistence is on the horizon.
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Robert Gagnon
The religious right have always had it out for Muslims. And when enough Muslims are centered in a city they do tend to get a bit pushy, but not more than old NY where you had the Irish, Italians, Poles etc. If your in another's hood you know it ain't good. As for taking over the U.S., that's just panic talk. Many are as observant as Jews are, the Catholics and Greek Orthodox next, then stepping down to Jesus lite the Evangelicals. While incarcerated a fellow Catholic friend and myself went to check out the chapel (Evangelist) and we were kind of pissed off at the mockery of Catholic ceremony. One of the Christians turned around and told us to shut up, and we explained what we were mumbling about. His response was "I tried to be a Catholic, but they didn't have any pamphlets". We had to leave cause we couldn't stop laughing. It was hard enough to observe the tongues part, but pamphlets was too much.
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Michael J Kidwell
I'm sorry, but Islamaphobia does not exist. That is just another extreme-left made up word to divide and hate. I had an old friend who was muslim and he told me 40 years ago, that the Qur'an declares that all non-muslims will be converted or killed. FYI, he is a Christian now. It is the only religion I have learned about that wants world domination by force. This is not Islamaphobic, it is self-preservation. They will cause wars until the end of time. In America, which is a Christian nation, we need to not allow them in public office. Ever. Anyone who believes in Sharia law, should be banned from our country. Just look at what's happening in the UK and all of Europe now. How much more proof do we need? The death, murders, and rapes of our countrymen?
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Robert James Ruhnke
For 2000 years Christians have murdered nonbelievers on their path to domination. Muslims and Christians believe in the same god and scriptures, they’re just separated by culture and language. Right now in the us, straight white Christian men are the leading causes of rape and murder of their countrymen and women. Get off your high horse before you fall off.
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Michael Hunt
Thanks for providing a perfect example of Islamophobia for everyone and proving that it's alive and, unfortunately, quite well!
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Mary Haviland
The better question is, is anti semitism back. Because the Jews and Israelites are Gods people and are hated because of it Islam isn't, and infact they are down if the evil children of Satan.and their should be anti islamism because what they stand for is evil. And they want to dominate the world with that evil. That I. Itself is reasons to not want them around. But I know that you all are going to say, now see this is proof of anti islamism but you are stupid to embrace evil. There are good reasons sometimes to not like everybody. Even God says to hate those he hate and his enemy should be our enemy. Because if he is all good and knows all good then the opposite of Him is bad. So it makes sense to hate what He hates and alive what he loves. And no God doesn't live all men. There is evil and evil is real. And you would be stupid or a fool to think otherwise.
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ServantOfJudgement
There never was islamophobia.
On this very site I've had an islamist want a Quran crammed down my throat. That's real friends. The Sudan is enjoying the mantra of islam right now. Ain't no Islamophobia there brother. Israel has been enjoying islam for quite some time, have they not? No islamophobia there either.
Islamophobia is a word created by the left to brand one with an unwarranted fear of a blood lusting religion, thus shaming that person.
It's becoming more and more clear to me. The left loves islam because they're from the same tree and use the same method, That is do anything you need to further their cause.
Let this islamist lord over NYC and let him crush it. Let the islamists there become proud and bold as they are in England. Let the police and press protect Islam and let the people blame Trump, oblivious to their own folly. Let all of NYC feel the embracing and inclusive arms of islam.
No we're not seeing islamophobia, were hearing the watchmen on the wall cry out.
Warning! Warning!
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Reverend Paula Copp
Wow, SoJ! Your posts are so … entertaining.
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Lionheart
Check out the cities and towns with Muslim leadership in England, London in particular is a good example. This is what we can expect with their ideology. Yes, people can call this comment as a form of Islamophobia, but results are there for all to see. NY is bad enough, but you “ain’t seen nut’n yet” if he wins the election. I’m sure Ilhan Omar is excited.
🦁❤️ ‘
Wow. You are filled with misinformation and hate. It's not a Christian worldview.