New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated the end of Ramadan by sharing a video reflecting on his faith, New York, and the people who call it home. Ramadan, one of the holiest months in Islam, is observed by fasting from dawn until sunset. Mamdani posted the video on Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that celebrates the end of the fasting period.
“Many ask me what it means to be the first Muslim mayor of our city,” Mamdani says. “And in that question, there is an assumption that I am introducing our faith to the city as a whole, when in reality our faith has been a part of this city for generations. The question of whether it’s been seen is another matter entirely, but Muslims and New York City, they are intertwined.”
Mamdani has remained a principled and composed leader, even as his religion and identity have been the subject of bigoted and ignorant attacks from the center and right.
He reminds us all that religion, at its best, can be used to recognize our shared humanity in the face of the vast and unknowable universe.