"I get messages that say the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim."
Zohran Mamdani repeated these hateful words to reporters as an example of the animosity he has been facing since becoming a prominent political figure.
Mamdani, 33, made history by becoming New York's first Muslim mayoral candidate by winning the Democratic primary. Nonetheless, his triumph sparked a flood of Islamophobic insults, including from sitting members of Congress, demonstrating how overtly racist discourse has become normalised at the highest levels of American politics.
Mamdani, born in Uganda to Indian parents and raised in Queens, New York, represents the city's diversity. His campaign mobilised a group of young, multicultural voters, including progressive Jewish voters in Manhattan, college-educated liberals in Brooklyn's Park Slope, and working-class residents in Queens. Despite this broad appeal, Mamdani became the victim of vicious Islamophobia and misinformation that are profoundly rooted in American political discourse.
Islamophobic rhetoric goes mainstream
According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), both Islamophobic and antisemitic speeches have reached record levels by 2024. The climate today is far removed from when such rhetoric would provoke bipartisan outrage.
Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles, a Republican, requested that the Justice Department cancel Mamdani's citizenship and deport him, citing lyrics from a rap song he wrote before naturalisation and accusing him of sympathising with "terrorists". Such requests for denaturalisation—a harsh government sanction often reserved for fraud cases—reflect Mamdani's intense apathy.
Other Republican lawmakers joined in. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene published an AI-generated image of the Statue of Liberty under a burqa, stating, "This hits hard."
Representative Nancy Mace remarked, "After 9/11, we said 'Never Forget.' I think we sadly have forgotten." Far-right media commentators like Charlie Kirk wrote on social media late Tuesday night that "24 years ago, a group of Muslims killed 2,753 people on 9/11. Now a Muslim Socialist is on pace to run New York City."
In another post, Kirk added that it was "time for the west to wake up," quoting another post claiming that Mamdani's election signified the first step in achieving the "end goal" of implementing "Sharia Law" throughout the United States.
The Babylon Bee, a conservative satirical site, carried a fabricated headline: "Mamdani Vows to Knock Down World Trade Centre to Build More Affordable Housing."
"New York City has fallen," Donald Trump Jr., the eldest child of President Donald Trump, wrote on X, quoting a post from another user claiming they were "old enough to remember when New Yorkers endured 9/11 instead of voting for it."
Islamophobic broadcaster Laura Loomer claimed that Mamdani was funded by the Muslim Brotherhood and suggested that his adherence to Shi'a Islam made him ideologically similar to the "ayatollahs in Iran". Election conspiracy theorist Dinesh D'Souza described Mamdani on Tuesday as the "Muslim Obama. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Consequences Beyond Words
These attacks have significant consequences. In early June, a guy was detained for assaulting Mamdani during a campaign event and biting one of his volunteers. The NYPD is looking into death threats against Mamdani, including a voicemail threatening to bomb his car, even though he doesn't have one.
"I get threats on my life, on the people that I love," an emotional Mamdani told reporters around the time of the threats. "I try not to talk about it because the function of racism, as Toni Morrison says, is distraction."
A bipartisan problem
Islamophobia isn't limited to the political right. Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand erroneously claimed in a radio broadcast that Mamdani supported "global jihad". A poster from a super PAC (political action committee) supporting former NY governor Andrew Cuomo's mayoral campaign contained a picture of Zohran Mamdani with a fuller beard, perpetuating a racial stereotype apparently to portray him as an extremist.
According to journalist Mehdi Hasan, "Islamophobia has long been bipartisan in this country." This hatred is not limited to Republicans, as evidenced by the 'Ground Zero Mosque' panic of 2010 and Senate rejections of Muslim nominees.
The cost of political participation for Muslims
Muslim politicians face unfair scrutiny and Islamophobic smears. Congress members Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Keith Ellison have been accused of being anti-American or sympathetic to terrorism, a charge rarely levelled at non-Muslim politicians.
Mamdani has been subjected to a double standard. Throughout his campaign, he was questioned about his views on the Israel-Palestine conflict, which no other candidate faced. His term, "Globalise the Intifada", which he stated as "a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights", was weaponised as proof of extremism. The ADL urged New York City candidates to avoid using language that could encourage antisemitic tropes, indirectly referring to Mamdani's remark.
Hope amid hostility
Since 9/11, Muslim Americans have faced suspicion, surveillance, institutional profiling, and discrimination based on their origin or beliefs. Because of their superficial similarities, Sikhs too faced the same consequences. However, Mamdani's victory signals a shift.
His coalition was diverse and inclusive, with support that crossed religious and ethnic lines. Representatives Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, André Carson, and Lateefah Simon released a joint statement condemning the Islamophobic attacks. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Republicans' rude behaviour "a disgrace to our democratic ideals".
According to James Zogby, co-founder of the Arab American Institute, "Islamophobia is becoming more brazen because there are no repercussions." He went on, "I don't think it's going to fly this time." According to Basim Elkarra, executive director of CAIR Action, "Now it's been normalised, but Mamdani's popularity could help him withstand these attacks."
Mamdani's Vision for New York
In his victory speech, Mamdani remarked, "I want to build a city where everyone sees themselves reflected—where Muslims are not just voters or citizens, but leaders, even mayors."
His campaign is about more than simply one election; it is a battle against Islamophobia, which is profoundly rooted in American politics and culture. When Mamdani was referred to as "Little Muhammad" or called a terrorist, a more profound truth became apparent: Muslim Americans demand recognition, representation, and respect.
As Mamdani declared, "We no longer wish to live in the shadows."
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