Mamdani leans into Sarsour support, Muslim faith & ‘Islamophobia’ claims in campaign finale

One of Zohran Mamdani’s final rallies in New York City centered on his Islamic identity as he rallied Muslim voters and condemned the alleged “Islamophobia” against him, while his campaign thanked a group closely linked both to the NYC mayoral hopeful and to controversial Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour.

Mamdani’s campaign swing on the final weekend before Tuesday’s election featured a host of speakers and guests from both inside and outside NYC, and his campaign thanked at least one group — the Muslim Democratic Club of New York (MDCNY) — which had been led by Sarsour and also previously featured Mamdani as part of the executive board.

A Just the News review previously found that Mamdani embraced a nearly decade-long association with high-profile anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour as he rose from an activist to New York State assemblyman and now the Democratic Party’s nominee to run America’s largest city.

Mamdani’s views on the Jewish state, law enforcement, and far-left policies have been closely aligned with Sarsour, whose views on Israel have stirred years of controversy and accusations of anti-Zionism.

Rally speakers and Mamdani himself this weekend leaned heavily into identity politics and his faith at the rally as he sought to make claims of “Islamophobia” a political asset as he sought to get out the vote, and the democratic socialist’s rally in Major Mark Park in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens County on Saturday was a microcosm of the campaign’s final push. A campaign flyer for the rally dubbed it a “Muslim & South Asian Rally & Canvass” with Mamdani.

All challenges to Mamdani are examples of "Islamophobia"

The rally crowd on Saturday appeared heavily Muslim, with many women dressed in hijabs and multiple men wearing thobe-style garb, kufi-style skullcaps, and beards dyed orange and red. The theme of the rally — driven home by every introductory speaker and then by Mamdani himself — was the key role that the Muslim vote would play in the mayoral election, as well as the claim that Mamdani — and, the argument went, all Muslim New Yorkers, by extension — was facing “Islamophobic” attacks from his rivals, former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.

The lead-up to the rally featured a drummer unaffiliated with the campaign chanting, “Hey Hey Ho Ho Cuomo Has Got to Go!” The drummer had “Israel Kills Kids” and a Palestinian flag drawn on his drum.

Signs in the crowd included Afghans for Zohran, Hindus for Zohran, Queens for Zohran, Jamaica Bangladeshi Americans for Zohran, MusVote for Zohran, Educators for Zohran, Pakistanis for Zohran, Muslims for Zohran, and calls to Freeze the Rent.

Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Sarsour did not respond to a request for comment sent to her through the MPower Change activist group she leads.

Mamdani campaign thanks Sarsour-linked group & Muslim brothers

Mohammed Alharbi, the Muslim and South Asian community organizer and constituency field manager for the Mamdani campaign, told the crowd that “I am immensely grateful for this campaign and our ability to go activate folks like you, people that look like us around the city, and get our voices active.”

Alharbi added: “I really want to give a shout-out to our Muslim brother, State Senator Robert Jackson, and also our former congressman, Jamaal Bowman, who I have been asked by dozens of uncles if Jamaal Bowman is Muslim, because every morning he is in group chats on WhatsApp saying, ‘Assalamu alaikuum [peace be with you] brothers, who is canvassing with me?’ So big shout out.”

Another member of Mamdani’s campaign said from the stage that “I just want to take a moment to acknowledge all the people, the orgs, and the co-hosts that have been instrumental not only in putting this event together, but have been in friendship with us when Zohran … could’ve taken a normal walk on Fifth Avenue.”

The campaign member specifically thanked CAAAV Voice, MusVote, The Muslim Vote Project, Pakistanis for Zohran, American Pakistani Advocacy Group, Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress, Bangladeshi Americans for Zohran, Bangladeshi American Advocacy Group, Muslim Community Forum, Muslim Action Coalition, Hindus for Zohran, DRUM Beats, Emgage Action, the MDCNY, and more.

The Mamdani campaign member said that “I think this group has been very close to Zohran because he was a former club member, literally — the Muslim Democratic Club of New York. A huge, huge shout-out to them.”

Mamdani has cited his membership with the club, which had been led for two terms by none other than MDCNY co-founder Sarsour, as formative in his political career — and Mamdani was a board member for the MDCNY just after Sarsour’s presidency ended.

The Muslim club in late July said that “two incredible leaders” — Sarsour and Imam Khalid Latif, Executive Director and Chaplain (Imam) for the Islamic Center at New York University — were being hosted for a “special fireside chat” to “reflect on Zohran Mamdani’s historic mayoral primary win, a political earthquake made possible by Muslim communities across NYC.” The club said in August that Sarsour and Latif “explored how to turn momentum into lasting movement and how our diverse and collective strengths can shape Muslim political power for generations!”

The Muslim club shared a photo of dozens of their members canvassing with Mamdani in late October. Last week, the club touted the Saturday rally.

The Mamdani campaign member also said of Emgage Action on Saturday that “we are very thankful for the enduring support.”

Emgage Action, another Muslim activist group, has repeatedly praised and defended Sarsour.

“Linda Sarsour. A Palestinian American activist, co-chair of the 2019/2017 Women’s March, ED [executive director] of @MPower_Change, and one of Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People’ in 2017, Sarsour is one of the most well known political activists in the world!” Emgage Action tweeted in 2020.

The group’s chair also said in 2020 that “Emgage condemned attacks against Linda Sarsour following her participation at a DNC event. I personally wrote to the Biden campaign expressing my serious concerns.”

DRUM — Desis Rising Up & Moving — says that “we have built a unique model of South Asian and Indo-Caribbean undocumented workers, women, and youth led organizing for rights and justice from the local to the global,” and its sister organization DRUM Beats “builds on its legacy of organizing working-class Indo-Caribbean and South Asian communities to build movements, and our capacities to transform political systems so that they serve our collective needs.”

The director of DRUM Beats, Fahd Ahmed, has appeared at multiple events at The People’s Forum, a Marxist revolutionary advocacy group in NYC that is part of the CCP-linked financial network tied to wealthy businessman Neville Singham. The Muslim Vote Project has worked to get Mamdani elected, including canvassing efforts and an Urdu and Hindi language phone banking effort in October. 

Mamdani rally speakers united in anti-”Islamophobia” theme

The Mamdani rally featured out of state Democratic legislators in the audience, including Muslim State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau from Washington, Muslim State Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim of Virginia, self-described socialist State Rep. Gabriel Sanchez of Georgia, and Mexican-born former State Rep. Brenda Lopez Romero of Georgia.

Donovan Richards, the Queens Borough President, was the rally’s first speaker, and he declared from the stage, “In Queens County, we understand that our diversity is our strength. In Queens County, we celebrate DEI. We understand that diversity and equity and inclusion is what this country was built on.”

“Let me say to my Muslim and South Asian community, the Islamophobia being spewed, the Islamophobia being spewed is disgraceful, and we will defeat it on November 4th.” Richards also said, adding, “On November 4th, we will make history electing the first South Asian — South Asian — to be mayor of our city. We will re-elect the first black man to be borough president in Queens history.”

Muslim former NYC Councilman: "We can govern"

The next speaker, former NYC Councilmember Daneek Miller, a Muslim himself, began his remarks by saying, “Assalamu alaikum” — an Arabic phrase meaning “peace be upon you.” The crowd replied, “Wa’a alaikum asssalam” — meaning “and upon you be peace.”

“We talk about whether or not Muslims can govern — we have demonstrated that we can govern. We can govern effectively and we can govern equitably,” Miller said, adding, “I want to address the elephant in the room: Islamophobia and the elephant in the campaign … Islamophobia, and again, whether or not we can equitably govern — can you govern beyond your own community and your own experience. Well, I will say that we already have a template. We have myself. We’ve done it.” He also pointed to New York State Sen. Robert Jackson, also a Muslim, in the crowd.

Miller added that “I’m so glad to see Zohran’s parents here because it is that legacy that makes us who we are.”

NYC Councilmember Shahana Hanif, also a Muslim, was the next speaker.

“I’m Councilmember Shahana Hanif. First Bangladeshi elected in New York. First Muslim woman in the city council. And of course I am following in the footsteps of champions, South Asian and Muslim leaders who carved the path so that today I can be on this stage, this stage, addressing my community,” Hanif said.

Hanif touted her long friendship with Mamdani, saying, “I’ve known him years going back, as a young organizer, in the trenches, we have worked together, whether it has been standing up for immigrant rights, standing up for criminal justice, standing up to ensure that Palestine is free.” The crowd cheered at the mention of Palestine.

Far-left swept up in the tide

Maurice Mitchell, the president of the Working Families Party, told the crowd that “26 billionaires have spent at least $22 million attacking Zohran Mamdani this cycle, attacking our movement, and also playing into the worst racist and Islamophobic bigotry you can imagine.”

NYC public advocate Jumaane Williams asked the crowd, “Are you ready? The crowd replied, “Yeah!” “To make history?” Williams said, as the crowd again yelled, “Yeah!” Williams continued, “To elect the first Muslim mayor in the city of New York?” The crowd’s reply again came back, “Yeah!”

“I am proud to have been out here with you when people did not have the courage to say that we have to bring the hostages home, and we need a ceasefire now,” Williams said.

Williams added: “On Tuesday the 4th, don’t let your foot get off the billionaires’ necks. We have to get out there, because they are coming. Cuomo is at his ugliest right now. … History is on our side, and on Tuesday the 4th, the people of this city who look like the people of this crowd will band together and make history.”

Calif. Rep: "Starstruck to meet his mother"

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., had the honor of introducing Mamdani to the crowd, and he spent much of his speech praising Mamdani’s filmmaker mother. “Look, I am a fan of Zohran Mamdani, but I was really starstruck to meet his mom, Mira Nair,” Khanna said, adding that “when Zohran’s videos started going viral, I had a sense that he was raised with the right values.”

Khanna added: “I am here for Zohran Mamdani, for someone, a leader, who is showing us that instead of dividing the country and the city, is bringing people together. Hindu and Muslim, young and old, Christian and Jew.”

“We can be a voice for justice and peace in Gaza and around the world,” Khanna also said to cheers from the crowd.

The shadows of Mamdani’s father go unanswered

Mamdani’s father, Mahmood, was born in colonial India but lived in colonial Uganda for many years. Uganda achieved its independence from Britain in 1962, but Mahmood has said he was expelled from post-colonial Uganda in 1972 when Ugandan military dictator Idi Amin kicked out tens of thousands of people of Asian descent from the country.

Just the News recently revealed that Mahmood — a prominent leftist in his own right — penned a book in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 where he argued that there was a “moral equivalence” between the United States and al-Qaeda, compared the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to the terrorist destruction of the World Trade Center, blamed the U.S. for 9/11 and al-Qaeda, and much more.

“If you had asked me when I was growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that there would be an Indian-American of Hindu faith representing Silicon Valley introducing an African-born Indian of Muslim faith to be the next mayor of New York, I would told you: only in a Mira Nair film,” Khanna added on Saturday. “But it’s happening.”

“Islamophobia” is the heart of Mamdani speech to fellow Muslims

The start of Mamdani’s speech was interrupted by two hecklers. 

The first man yelled to boos from the crowd, “Communism doesn’t work! You’re a racist! Mamdani you’re a racist! Communism ain’t working over here! You’re lying to the people.” He was forcibly dragged away by two NYPD officers. Mamdani smiled and said that “I appreciate you being here” as the man was hauled off.

The second man yelled, “Denounce the intifada! … You are a Communist! This is not Cuba! This is not Venezuela!” Three uniformed NYPD officers eventually directed him out of the rally too.

Mamdani said, “What you see around yourselves are the very New Yorkers who have been ignored by the politics of this city. And those days are coming to an end.” “What I am looking at right now is something that money cannot buy. I’m looking at a movement whose time has come. A movement that looks at itself and sees the answer that we have been waiting for,” Mamdani said.

"Not one man...one movement"

The mayoral hopeful also noted that his mom was in attendance, saying, “My mother is here in the crowd and my mother called me a few days ago and asked me, ‘Which polls should we believe?’ I said none of them.”

Mamdani brought all the elected officials in attendance on stage with him “because I want you to see that it’s not about one man — it’s about one movement.”

“I know looking out into this crowd that there are many here today who are Muslim New Yorkers just like me who have been made to feel as if they should be ashamed of their faith. And we know that in the final days of this election, and those like Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams realize that the only thing they cared about — power — is slipping away, they will become more desperate,” Mamdani said. “No longer will we apologize for who we are. No longer will we apologize for who we believe in.”

Mamdani argued that he was “offended” by the criticisms against him because “they are attacks on all of us”

Mamdani asked the crowd, “Raise your hand if you have been called a terrorist while living in this city.” Many in the crowd raised their hands in response. He then asked, “Raise your hand if you have had to deal with your name being mangled every day that you go into work.” Dozens in the crowd raised their hands.

“This is why these words offend me — because they are about all of us,” Mamdani said.

Referencing the many organizations thanked by his campaign, Mamdani said, “I want to ask for a round of applause for every organization that put this event on. These are the organizations that have been with us — many of them before the campaign began. … These are the organizations that will march alongside us to win on Tuesday.”

As Mamdani’s speech concluded, one man in the crowd yelled “Takbir! Takbir!” (Allah is the greatest) as Mamdani joined raised hands with the other politicians on stage at the conclusion of his speech.

Mamdani then closed out the rally by leading a foreign language call-and-response, with the crowd enthusiastically yelling back: “Zohran! Zohran!”

NYC likely to elect a socialist on Tuesday

Mamdani also campaigned with Al Sharpton and his National Action Network over the weekend, with Mamdani tweeting, “I’m grateful for @TheRevAl’s powerful words of unity at @NationalAction this morning and against the cynical politics of fear and division.” The video clip showed Sharpton saying that “I am outraged at the ugly Islamophobia that has been used in this campaign.”

A recent documentary by the Wall Street Journal Opinion detailed Sharpton’s role in the anti-Semitic Crown Heights riots in Brooklyn in 1991.

Mamdani was forced to admit last month that the “aunt” from his speech on Islamophobia — whom he claimed was too fearful to wear her hijab on the subways after 9/11 — was in fact his first cousin once removed and is no longer alive.

Over the weekend, Mamdani also released an Arabic language ad where he said, “Hello, my name is Zohran Mamdani, and I’m running to be the next mayor of New York City. Now, I know what you’re thinking, I might look like your brother-in-law from Damascus, but my Arabic needs some work.”

Mamdani currently holds a commanding lead in the NYC mayoral race, according to polling averages by RealClearPolling, and his activation of New York’s Muslim community will likely be a factor in his expected win.