Hardly had our tears dried from the brutal killing of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, when another wave of hate followed. This time, it was aimed at New York state Rep. Zohran Mamdani after his Democratic primary win in the New York mayoral race.
The same hate that took the lives of the Hortmans has now morphed into a rabid force, spewing Islamophobia like never before. What makes it worse is that politicians across the country are joining in. This rhetoric is not confined to fringe groups. It is public, shameless, and gaining traction.
Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles tweeted, “Zohran ‘little muhammad’ Mamdani is an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York. He needs to be DEPORTED. Which is why I am calling for him to be subject to denaturalization proceedings.”
New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik called Mamdani “an antisemitic, jihadist, Communist candidate.” Right-wing social media influencer Laura Loomer wrote, “He is literally supported by terrorists. Why do we not have laws that say foreigners cannot hold office in the US?” This tweet got 4 million views.
Forget that Mamdani is a U.S. citizen. He is being called a foreigner. And Trump, in his usual bombastic style, called Mamdani a Communist lunatic and commented that Mamdani looks “terrible,” his voice is “grating,” and he is “not very smart.”
No other religious group in America would be subjected to this kind of public hate without consequences. Muslims are fair game, and Islamophobia continues to be the most acceptable and normalized form of bigotry among politicians. In fact, it helps their popularity grow.
Mamdani has weathered this ad hominem, Islamophobic, xenophobic blitz with patience, character, and high moral ground. Those spreading this rhetoric are clutching at straws, unable to digest this titanic shift where big money, hate-filled rhetoric, and crass incivility were defeated by ordinary New Yorkers. Voters showed that they are more interested in leaders who focus on the needs of their communities rather than directing attention and resources toward foreign interests that have little to do with our everyday lives or the safety and security of our country.
At a time of increased violence against elected officials, we cannot allow these kinds of attacks on Mamdani to continue. Disagreement and debate are the foundations of democracy. Ultimately, we the people decide.
Zohran Mamdani and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander cross-endorsed each other in the New York mayoral primary. Lander, who is Jewish, nailed it when he said, “We are not going to let anyone divide Muslim New Yorkers and Jewish New Yorkers.”
Mamdani’s victory proves that Americans reject fear-mongering when offered real leadership. We are seeing through these divisive tactics. It is time to reclaim our country’s promise.
