The Democratic socialist, who has in the past refused to condemn the antisemitic phrase “globalize the intifada” which is seen as a call for violence against Jews, accused ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his other opponents Friday of stoking Islamophobia in a bid to bring down his campaign.
“I want to speak to the memory of my aunt,” Mamdani told the crowd in front of the Islamic Cultural Center of The Bronx, pausing to choke back tears, “who stopped taking the subway after Sept.11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab.”
The progressive promised to make it his mission to stand up for NYC’s Muslim community should he be elected as mayor next month.
“The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated as any other New Yorker, and yet for too long we have been told to ask for less than that and to be satisfied with whatever little we receive,” said Mamdani.
“No more.”
“I will not change who I am, how I eat, or the faith that I’m proud to call my own,” he added. “But there is one thing that I will change. I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light.”
The emotional speech came after Mamdani rattled off a series of anti-Islam sentiments made by his political opponents on the campaign trail, including a radio interview this week where Cuomo chuckled at the suggestion from conservative WABC host Sid Rosenberg that Mamdani, who is Muslim, would “be cheering” if “another 9/11” happened.
He also accused GOP mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa of “slandering” him by claiming during Wednesday’s final mayoral debate that the socialist Queens assemblyman supports “global jihad.”
“In an era of ever-diminishing bipartisanship, it seems that Islamophobia has emerged as one of the few areas of agreement,” Mamdani claimed.
Mamdani did not address in his mosque speech his Oct. 17 visit with controversial Imam Siraj Wahhaj.
The grinning candidate posed for a photo with Wahhaj and City Councilman Yusef Salaam, and posted it to social media. Days later he downplayed the meeting.
“The same imam met with Mayor Bloomberg, met with Mayor De Blasio, campaigned alongside Eric Adams, and the only time it became an issue of national attention was when I met with him,” Mamdani said.
“That’s because of the fact of my faith and because I’m on the precipice of winning this election.”
“The same imam met with Mayor Bloomberg, met with Mayor De Blasio, campaigned alongside Eric Adams, and the only time it became an issue of national attention was when I met with him,” Mamdani said.
If elected, Mamdani would become the first Muslim mayor of the Big Apple.