Zohran Mamdani Speaks Out on Islamophobia and Identity Amid Heated New York Mayoral Race

New York: Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani shared a deeply personal account of the challenges faced by New York’s Muslim community during a recent campaign event outside a Bronx mosque, shedding light on faith, fear, and identity in the post-9/11 era.

Speaking to community leaders, Mamdani recalled how his aunt stopped using the subway after the September 11 attacks because she “did not feel safe wearing her hijab.” He also revealed that, upon entering politics, he had been advised to downplay his Muslim identity — a reflection, he said, of the quiet but persistent discrimination faced by many Muslim New Yorkers.

“These are lessons that so many of us have been taught — to make ourselves smaller, to make our faith invisible,” Mamdani said, urging greater acceptance and inclusivity.

His remarks come amid an increasingly tense mayoral race in New York City, where Mamdani faces Republican Curtis Sliwa and Independent Andrew Cuomo. The campaign has been marked by sharp rhetoric, with both rivals — and even outgoing Mayor Eric Adams — accused of invoking anti-Muslim sentiment.

Cuomo drew criticism after appearing to laugh along with a conservative radio host’s suggestion that Mamdani would “be cheering” another 9/11 attack, though his spokesperson later denied agreement with the remark. Adams warned that “New York can’t be Europe… because of Islamic extremism,” while Sliwa accused Mamdani of supporting “global jihad.” Many Democrats and civil rights groups have condemned these statements as Islamophobic and politically motivated distractions from policy debates.

The controversy also drew a reaction from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who posted a sarcastic comment implying that, in Mamdani’s view, “the real victim of 9/11 was his aunt,” dismissing the candidate’s story as exaggerated.

Despite the mounting attacks, Mamdani reaffirmed his pride in his faith and identity. “I will not change who I am, how I eat, or the faith I am proud to call my own,” he said. Acknowledging that he once tried to minimize his religious identity to avoid prejudice, he declared that time was over.

“I will no longer look for myself in the shadows,” Mamdani said. “I will find myself in the light.”

His words struck a resonant tone — not only as a defense of personal dignity but as a broader statement on the place of faith and diversity in New York’s political landscape.