New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville after Tuberville reshared a post from the far-right X account "End Wokeness" of the 9/11 terrorist attacks alongside an image of Mamdani with his own Islamophobic take.
Mamdani ran a campaign centered around economic populism, arguing that the city, a global financial center, has grown unaffordable for everyday residents, citing soaring rents and grocery prices, and outlining policies aimed at reducing the cost of living.
His efforts paid off—he ultimately bested former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a seismic win for progressives that has reverberated across the country. But Mamdani's win has also ignited an Islamophobic backlash against him.
Republicans have previously faced criticism for suggesting that Mamdani would have put New York City in even more danger during the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, by siding with the attackers, who were Muslim. Mamdani has spoken publicly about receiving hate messages, including ones declaring, “the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.”
The account “End Wokeness” shared a post criticizing New Yorkers for electing Mamdani, echoing claims from far-right critics who argue the city has “forgotten” the September 11 attacks because Mamdani’s election occurred less than 25 years after the tragedy, particularly after the Trump administration's Iran attacks have ignited fears of retaliation on U.S. soil.
The post came after Mamdani spoke at an iftar dinner Thursday evening, a special meal held to break the daily Ramadan fast.
Tuberville shared the post along with the following caption:
"The enemy is inside the gates."
You can see his post below.
The post caught Mamdani's attention and he replied with the following:
"Let there be as much outrage from politicians in Washington when kids go hungry as there is when I break bread with New Yorkers."
You can see his post below.
Mamdani's campaign prominently embraced his faith, with regular mosque visits and messaging that connected his background to the city’s broader diversity—and people appreciated his response while criticizing Tuberville.
Mamdani also spoke about the rise of Islamophobia in the U.S. during an iftar dinner Thursday even, slamming Tuberville's post as "bigotry."
He added:
"When I hear such hatred and disdain unchecked in its rancor, I feel a loneliness and isolation that I know many of you have felt as well."
"Who here has been told, you do not belong in New York City? Who here has been told, go back where you came from?"
He also implored Muslim Americans to keep only celebrating their religion and culture despite the hate they might experience, saying:
"What I so often hear is the pressure to fit oneself into an ever-narrowing box, to suppress parts of oneself in the hope of finding acceptance."
Mamdani is New York City’s first Muslim mayor—a milestone that has energized the city’s approximately one million Muslim residents.
In one early campaign video, Mamdani used the rising price of a halal cart meal to illustrate the city’s affordability crisis. In another, he filmed himself breaking his Ramadan fast with a massive burrito while riding the subway.
Mamdani has been very clear "that to stand in public as a Muslim is also to sacrifice the safety that we can sometimes find in the shadows."













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