• Source:JND
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As New York heads into one of its most high-stakes mayoral elections, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani has found himself at the centre of both praise and criticism following his emotional remarks about post-9/11 Islamophobia in the city. The comments, made just days before early voting begins, have reignited debates around faith, identity, and prejudice in American politics. 

During a campaign event, Mamdani recalled how his aunt felt unsafe wearing a hijab in New York after the September 11 attacks. Fighting back tears, he described her fear of riding the subway and the “undercurrents of suspicion” that many Muslim residents faced in the years that followed.

“My aunt stopped taking the subway, not because she didn’t love the city, but because she feared its stares,” Mamdani said. “Her story reflects what too many of us have lived, the quiet discrimination that follows us in silence.”

“The dream of every Muslim is to be treated like any other New Yorker,” he said. “And yet, for too long, we have been told to ask for less, to be grateful for whatever little we receive. No more.”

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Political Rivals Stir The Debate

The 2025 New York mayoral race has turned increasingly heated. Mamdani’s main rivals include former governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams has chosen not to seek re-election.

Cuomo has largely stayed away from religion-related controversies, but Sliwa has repeatedly accused Mamdani of being sympathetic to “global jihad,” remarks that many observers have condemned as Islamophobic. Meanwhile, Adams recently courted criticism after saying, “New York can’t be Europe. You see what’s playing out in other countries because of Islamic extremism.”

JD Vance’s Response Draws Backlash

Following Mamdani’s remarks, US Vice President JD Vance drew fire for posting a sarcastic comment online. “According to Zohran Mamdani, the real victim of 9/11 was his aunt, who apparently got some dirty looks,” Vance wrote, prompting immediate backlash from civil rights advocates and Democratic leaders who accused him of trivialising Muslim experiences after 9/11.

Mamdani responded, saying, “I will not change who I am or how I live for anyone,” he said. “For too long, I tried to hide my identity to make others comfortable. I will no longer look for myself in the shadows,I will find myself in the light.”

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