Islamophobic Attacks on Zohran Mamdani's Mayoral Bid

13 hours ago7 min read

The Islamophobic attacks targeting Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral bid are not merely isolated incidents of bigotry; they are the latest manifestation of a deep-seated political strategy that weaponizes religious identity to undermine progressive candidates of color. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist state assemblyman known for his unapologetic advocacy for Palestinian rights and housing justice, finds his campaign subjected to a familiar, corrosive playbook.This isn't just about one election in New York City; it's a microcosm of a global pattern where Muslim politicians, particularly those who challenge established power structures, are forced to navigate a minefield of insinuations about their patriotism, their faith, and their allegiances. The attacks carry the weight of history, echoing the McCarthy-era red-baiting tactics and the post-9/11 surveillance state that collectively demonized entire communities, and they carry the urgency of the present, arriving at a moment of heightened anti-Muslim sentiment amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.We've seen this script before with Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, where critiques of Israeli policy are deliberately and disingenuously conflated with antisemitism, creating a toxic environment where any Muslim in public life is preemptively suspect. The narrative constructed against Mamdani is meticulously crafted: his support for the BDS movement is framed not as a legitimate political stance but as evidence of radicalism, his faith subtly positioned as incompatible with secular governance.This is a gendered and racialized form of political violence, designed to otherize and intimidate. Behind the sensationalist headlines lies a calculated effort to deflect from the substantive issues Mamdani champions—universal housing, defunding the police, climate justice—by instead forcing him to constantly defend his very right to exist in the political arena.The consequences are profound, chilling political participation and reinforcing the damaging stereotype that Muslims are perpetual outsiders. As a feminist writer, I see this as a critical test for the body politic: will we allow these age-old tactics of division to succeed, or will we recognize them for what they are—a desperate attempt by a faltering establishment to maintain control by scapegoating the most vulnerable? The fight for Mamdani’s mayoralty is, in essence, a fight for the soul of a multicultural democracy, a battle to determine whether our political discourse can be rooted in policy and solidarity or will remain mired in the politics of fear and xenophobia.

#Islamophobia

#Zohran Mamdani

#New York City

#mayoral election

#discrimination

#political attacks

#featured

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