Mayor Zoran Mamdani is set to face a demonstration Tuesday night, as local Islamic activists plan to protest outside his residence, accusing him of endorsing what they describe as an extreme version of Islamism.
Mamdani, who is New York City’s first Muslim mayor, has also come under fire from staunch anti-Israel activists for allegedly not doing enough to support Palestinian issues since taking office.
Anila Ali, the president of the American Muslim and Interfaith Women’s Empowerment Council, expressed her intention to participate in the protest. She believes Mamdani’s policies are alienating moderate Muslims and harming relationships between New York’s Muslim and Jewish communities.
“With President Mamdani’s leadership, it feels like our faith has been once again manipulated by extremists,” Ali remarked in a video interview.
Ali positions herself as part of a movement of “moderate Muslims” that emerged post-9/11, emphasizing the compatibility of Islam with coexistence and religious freedom. She critiques Islamism as a political ideology that fuses religion and politics, claiming that Mamdani embodies a more radical stance than the moderate beliefs held by many American Muslims.
Ali notes that moderate Muslims do not align with groups like the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which she accuses of monopolizing the public representation of Islam in the U.S. and supporting radical movements. Many in her community feel distanced from activism that they believe misrepresents their values.
“Zoran Mamdani is a product of their support; the Muslim Brotherhood backed him,” Ali stated in the video interview.
Criticism directed at Mamdani isn’t solely from moderate Muslims and interfaith activists—hardline anti-Israel groups are also discontented with his stance on Palestinian causes.
Last week, Nerdeen Kiswani, an activist with Within Our Lifetime, criticized Mamdani for his comments affirming Israel’s right to exist, arguing that such statements indicate a lack of robust support for Palestinian rights.
This growing divide has turned Mamdani into a focal point in broader political clashes within the U.S., where anti-Israel and Islamist movements converge with increasingly aligned protest coalitions.
Ali asserts that Mamdani’s backing of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, coupled with his comments regarding Israel’s Jewish state status, has heightened tensions between Muslims and Jews in New York.
“They start with the Jews, but it doesn’t stop there,” she pointed out, stressing that Mamdani’s actions have harmed interfaith relations and the public perception of Islam.
While he retains support from progressive activists who fueled his rise, Ali views the upcoming protest as a means to showcase unity among Muslims, Jews, and Christians against what she labels as radical Islamic politics masquerading as mainstream belief.
“We’re going to start educating our children, both Muslim and American, about ‘Islamism 101,’” Ali said, highlighting concerns over normalizing Islamist political ideology.
Ali also warned that New York might risk echoing the issues faced by British cities like Bradford and Birmingham, which have dealt with extremism and societal fragmentation.
“I can’t bear to witness the rise of radical Islamism in Britain,” she lamented.
The protest is being coordinated by End Jew Hatred, along with a coalition of organizations from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities, including the American Muslim Interfaith Women’s Empowerment Council and the Catholic League. Mamdani’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
