Mamdani Faces Islamophobic Backlash After Historic Primary Victory/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ New York’s Zohran Mamdani wins the Democratic mayoral primary, becoming poised to be the city’s first Muslim mayor. His historic victory triggers Islamophobic attacks, even from sitting lawmakers. Advocates warn bigotry is becoming normalized in American politics.
Quick Look
- Zohran Mamdani wins NYC’s Democratic mayoral primary
- Islamophobic rhetoric spikes, led by GOP lawmakers
- Advocates fear normalization of open anti-Muslim hate
Muslim Hate Rises After Mamdani’s NYC Primary Victory
Deep Look
NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani’s decisive victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary has ignited a surge of Islamophobic attacks, including inflammatory rhetoric from sitting members of Congress — the kind of public bigotry that once might have ended political careers.
Why it matters: Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents hit record highs in 2024, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Mamdani’s historic win as the first Muslim poised to become New York’s mayor now collides with an American political climate where openly racist rhetoric is increasingly normalized.
The details:
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) called for Mamdani, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Uganda, to be denaturalized and deported. Under U.S. law, denaturalization is extremely rare and typically tied to fraud during the citizenship process.
Mamdani, 33, who serves in the New York State Assembly, has spoken candidly about threats he’s received throughout his campaign.
“Being Muslim is like being a member of any other faith,” he told MSNBC after his primary win.
Other Republican lawmakers joined in the attacks:
Zoom out: The attacks echo a long history of anti-Muslim political rhetoric in the U.S., from calls in 2005 by Rep. Tom Tancredo to bomb Islamic holy sites, to the furor over the proposed “Ground Zero Mosque” in 2010. Muslim elected officials like Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have faced years of Islamophobic attacks.
The political landscape:
- Despite the backlash, Mamdani’s broad, multiracial coalition spans progressive Jewish voters in Manhattan, college-educated liberals in Brooklyn, and working-class communities in Queens.
- Some experts believe the Islamophobic attacks could backfire in diverse New York. “I don’t think it’s going to fly this time,” said James Zogby of the Arab American Institute.
- CAIR Action’s Basim Elkarra noted that Mamdani’s win could empower Muslim and multiracial coalitions nationally. “We see the same Islamophobia from the same bigots anytime a Muslim runs for office,” he said. “Now it’s been normalized.”
Between the lines: Days before the primary, Mamdani faced scrutiny for declining to outright condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” during a podcast interview. Mamdani, a critic of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, said the phrase reflects “a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.”
The ADL countered that calls to “globalize the intifada” invoke violent history and amount to incitement against Jews, urging NYC candidates to steer clear of such language.
The bottom line: Mamdani has firmly condemned antisemitism and vowed to be a mayor for all New Yorkers, focusing on the city’s affordability crisis. His message propelled him to a stunning primary victory—but he faces an uphill battle against the intensifying tide of hate.
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