Zohran Mamdani Faces Backlash Over Visit To Mosque Where Cleric Praised Hamas

Last Updated:July 09, 2025, 02:36 IST

Zohran Mamdani faced backlash after visiting a Brooklyn mosque led by a cleric who praised Hamas and called for Israel's annihilation.

Zohran Mamdani

New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani faced criticism after he was photographed visiting a Brooklyn mosque led by a cleric who has publicly praised Hamas and called for the “annihilation of Israel."

On January 17, Zohran Mamdani posted a photo on social media showing him standing beside Sheikh Muhammad Al-Barr, the imam of the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge, writing, “It was a privilege to join Jummah prayers at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge today."

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The visit came just months after the cleric delivered a sermon in which he glorified Hamas fighters and said their actions exceeded the efforts of Arab armies during the 1967 and 1973 wars.

“What Hamas has done, and what the young men of Gaza have done- all praise be to Allah- is more than what the Arab armies did in 1967 and 1973," Al-Barr said. He also said, “Oh Allah, annihilate those who occupied their lands, and those who betrayed and deserted them, and those who spilled their blood."

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The sermon and Zohran Mamdani’s subsequent appearance with Al-Barr ignited sharp backlash from critics and political opponents who argued that a mayoral candidate should not be seen associating with individuals espousing extremist anti-Israel rhetoric.

This is not the first controversy to hit Zohran Mamdani in recent weeks. A New York Times report revealed that in his 2009 application to Columbia University, Zohran Mamdani identified as both Asian and Black or African-American- a move some have criticized as an attempt to benefit from affirmative action policies.

Zohran Mamdani, born in Uganda to Indian-Ugandan parents- filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani- defended the move, saying he checked multiple boxes to reflect his full identity and that there was “no box for Indian-Ugandans."

New York, United States of America (USA)

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