Amid Islamophobic attacks, Zohran Mamdani brings together Muslim residents in the Bronx

In the face of a new slate of Islamophobic attacks, Zohran Mamdani gave an address outside a mosque in the South Bronx Friday that proclaimed a dramatic shift in the way he approaches his mayoral campaign and his Muslim identity – one from “the shadows” to “the light.” 

Embracing his religious identity, the Democratic nominee for mayor said that no longer will he tell “the first time voter in Parkchester that they too should remain in the shadows.” 

Several who prayed with Mamdani after his speech told City & State that, like the “first time voter in Parkchester” Mamdani referenced in his speech, in just days they too will be voting for the first time themselves, casting their ballot for Mamdani in the general election. 

“I'm making sure, I’m walking with anybody I know. I’ll let them know this is the right person,” said Ada Thiam, a Bronx resident who witnessed Mamdani lead a prayer following his speech. Thiam described how ahead of Election Day he is rallying his neighborhood and family to the polls, for the first time, to vote for Mamdani. 

Mamdani’s address at Islamic Cultural Center of the Bronx came after independent nominee for mayor Andrew Cuomo seemed to agree with and laugh at comments made by Sid Rosenberg during an interview Thursday that Mamdani “would probably cheer” another Sept. 11 terrorist attack. While Islamphobic remarks have been lobbed against the progressive candidate since he launched his campaign for mayor, with Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is expected to run for governor, calling him a “jihadist” on several occasions, in the past week his opponents have furthered this rhetoric.

Attempting to find new ways to attack Mamdani, Cuomo criticized him for appearing with imam Siraj Wahhaj, a controversial New York religious leader last week. Building on the attack, a new ad paid for by the anti-Mamdani super PAC For Our City recently featured a picture of Mamdani and Wahhaj with the words “JIHAD ON NYC.” Another ad, released by Cuomo’s campaign and deleted within five minutes, used artificial intelligence to mock a 2023 interview with Mamdani in which he eats rice with his hands and talks about Palestinian rights. It also featured images of “criminals” with a keffiyeh and a Palestinian flag.

“I'm praying for him, that God can protect him,” said Mohammed Janaga, a Bronx resident who prayed alongside Mamdani, in light of the attacks the candidate is facing.  

While Mamdani slammed Cuomo for these targeted attacks, also calling out Mayor Eric Adams and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa for similar Islamophobic remarks, he said he did not seek to address these elected officials, rather he wanted to speak to fellow Muslim New Yorkers. 

“I want to speak to the Muslims who work for our city, whether they teach in our schools or walk the beat for the NYPD, New Yorkers who all make daily sacrifices for the city they call home only to see their leaders spit in their face,” Mamdani said, standing beside members of the mosque’s congregation.      

Brahima Bathily, a Muslim Bronx resident who prays at the mosque every Friday, said that during the prayer Mamdani led, he introduced himself to the community and described what “the community goes through as Muslims.” 

“I think that's very important to a lot of people here. It makes you feel seen in a way,” Bathily said of the closed-door speech. 

While many emphasized the representation they felt from seeing a Muslim man rise to becoming the likely next mayor, they also said that their support for him does not solely come from their shared faith but also his policies. 

“That’s our candidate, not because he’s a Muslim, but because we think he's in the right way – fighting for New Yorkers, all New Yorkers. It doesn't matter who you are: Christian, Jew, Muslim. We talking about New York, and we believe in that,” Thiam said. 

One person who doesn’t believe is Cuomo, who said Friday that, “Zohran is an actor, and his entire campaign has been theatrics,” Cuomo said Friday. “It is all an act. Today he’s playing the victim, but in reality he is the offender.”

The former governor has repeatedly questioned Mamdani’s commitment to the Jewish community. 

“You’re the savior of the Jewish people? You won’t denounce ‘globalize the intifada,’ which means ‘Kill Jews,’” Cuomo said at the debate this week, referencing the controversial phrase that Mamdani has discouraged using, and noting that hundreds of rabbis had signed a letter criticizing him.

Mamdani described the frustration he has felt as he has attempted to rise above those types of attacks on Friday. 

“I thought that if I could build a campaign of universality, I could define myself as the leader I aspire to be, one representing every New Yorker, no matter their skin color or religion, no matter where they were born, I thought that if I worked hard enough, it would allow me to be that leader. I thought that if I behaved well enough or bit my tongue enough in the face of racist baseless attacks, all while returning back to my central message, it would allow me to be more than just my faith. I was wrong,” Mamdani said. 

As many of the residents who witnessed Mamdani speak prepare to vote in the general election on Nov. 4, they emphasized their hope for his win, but behind hope signaled a certainty in his victory. 

“I know Muslims know when they say something, they will deliver. They will do it,” said Muslim resident Kaxxim Ibrahim.