Zoran Mamdani’s father argues that the Nazis were influenced by America’s past, which includes genocide, ethnic cleansing, and institutional racism.
Mamdani, who is 34, often cites her father as her main inspiration, yet her writings on politics seem to reveal a skepticism towards Western culture, especially in the context of her life on the Upper West Side.
Mahmoud Mamdani, aged 79, describes himself as a radical socialist and has claimed that American surveillance contributed to the Nazis’ decisions to murder Jews.
In his book, he notes that the Allies at Nuremberg primarily ignored the political origins of Nazism, which, he argues, had American roots.
He asserts, “The United States emerged from a backdrop of genocide, ethnic cleansing, racial discrimination, and concentration camps, often referred to as Indian reservations.”
The book titled “Neither settler nor native: The creation and destruction of persistent minorities” is dedicated to Zoran Mamdani. In the acknowledgments, Mahmoud encourages his son to pursue revolutionary change.
He mentions, “Our son Zoran understands that it’s vital to join those eager to change the world.”
In other writings, Mahmoud contends that the Nazis learned about ethnic cleansing from America’s treatment of Indigenous populations. His son Zoran, influenced by his parents’ anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist beliefs, has been politically active, even starting a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine during his college years at Bowdoin in Maine.
Mahmoud’s analysis of global settler colonialism, published in 2020, argues that Israeli Zionist settlers are currently engaged in the forced displacement of non-Jews, a process that continues today.
Though Mahmoud did not respond to inquiries, he is among academic colleagues who support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement against Israel, a sentiment echoed by others in his department.
Brinkley Messick has been vocal about boycotting Israeli institutions and urged divestment of pension funds from Israel; he passed away in August.
Originally from India, Mahmoud was raised in Kampala and educated in the United States. He contributed to founding the Uganda-Korea Friendship Association in the early 1980s and wrote about his observations during a visit to Pyongyang.
Zoran’s mother, Mira Nair, is a notable filmmaker who has also taken a firm stance against Israel. In 2013, she opted not to attend a festival in Haifa, stating she would visit only when Israel ends its occupation.
She established a film school in Kampala, Maisha Film Lab, that supports upcoming filmmakers, funded in part by Qatar and George Soros’ Open Society initiatives.
Recent funding efforts have also been supported by Soros, with substantial grants directed to Makerere University where Mahmoud leads research initiatives. Since 2020, Soros donated around $620,000, facilitating several educational projects.
Beyond his criticism of Israel, Mahmoud shares his son’s radical socialist beliefs. In his recent book, “Slow Poison: Idi Amin, Yoweri Museveni and the Making of the Ugandan Nation,” he accuses Uganda’s long-standing ruler Yoweri Museveni of succumbing to global capitalism.
