The Islamophobia and racism Mamdani has facedpublished at 23:45 BST
23:45 BST
Nada Tawfik
Reporting from New York
The first time I met Zohran Mamdani on the campaign trail, it was the same day New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino called for the mayoral candidate – a US citizen – to be deported.
In a social media post, she labelled him a “radical leftist who actually hates everything about the country and is here specifically to undermine everything we’ve ever been about”, ending the message with “Deport”.
Since his Democratic primary win, the racism targeted toward Mamdani – who is Muslim and of South Asian descent – has intensified.
Recently, close Trump ally and Republican Representative Nancy Mace from South Carolina appeared to make a connection between the state assemblyman’s faith and that of the 2001 World Trade Center attackers. She posted a photo of Mamdani and wrote, “After 9/11 we said “Never Forget.’ I think we sadly have forgotten”.
Donald Trump Jr. wrote on social media, “New York City has fallen,” after quoting another post about when New Yorkers “endured 9/11 instead of voting for it”.
Just last month, a Texas man was arrested on charges of making terroristic threats against the 33-year-old in June and July. Mamdani now has a NYPD security detail.
In one message, the man said “Muslims don’t belong here”, and in another he said, “I’d love to see an IDF bullet go through your skull”, referencing the Israeli military.
All four Muslim Democratic US House members have put out a statement in defence of Mamdani against assaults over his identity.
“The vile, anti-Muslim and racist smears from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle attacking Zohran Mamdani cannot be met with silence. These hateful, Islamophobic, and racist tropes have become so entrenched and normalised in our politics,” write Representatives Andre Carson of Indiana, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Lateefah Simon of California.