by Jerry Dunleavy
Mamdani's rise to power was guided by a number of New York-based socialist and Muslim groups, and they celebrated his win on Tuesday as their own.
High-profile socialist and Muslim backers of Zohran Mamdani’s successful mayoral campaign — including controversial figures such as Linda Sarsour and Siraj Wahhaj — took a victory lap in the wake of the self-described democratic socialist’s victory in New York City's mayoral race.
Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, leaned heavily on the backing of the DSA and of Muslim activist groups to win both the Democratic primary in June and the general election on Tuesday.
A wide-assortment of Muslim, socialist, and other far-left groups and figures celebrated Mamdani’s win Tuesday, with many arguing that it pointed toward growing momentum for socialism and Muslim politicians in America.
Linda Sarsour, a high-profile anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian activist, celebrated Mamdani’s win on Instagram on Tuesday.
“When what we were told was impossible becomes the reality. From 1% in the polls to New York City Hall,” she said. “Congratulations @zohrankmamdani, thank you for taking us all on this incredible journey and helping us believe in democracy again.”
A Just the News review previously found that Mamdani embraced a nearly decade-long association with Sarsour as he rose from an activist to New York State assemblyman and now the Democrat Party’s nominee to run America’s largest city. Sarsour’s commentary and views on Israel have stirred years of controversy and accusations of anti-Semitism, an allegation she denies.
Sarsour and her Muslim activist group MPower Change also posted a lengthier celebration on Tuesday.
“Zohran Mamdani has become the first Muslim mayor of New York City, and we are elated. This election win is not simply about the man who will lead New York City in January — it is also about the mass of people, the communities, and the solidarity that lifted Zohran to victory,” Sarsour and her groups said on Instagram.
Sarsour and MPower Change added: “Zohran faced a constant stream of vile Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism during his campaign. … Zohran and our communities showed that we can overcome this bigotry. When we stand together against anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate, we win.”
Mamdani has cited his membership with the Muslim Democratic Club of New York (MDCNY), which had been led for two terms by MDCNY co-founder Sarsour, as formative in his political career. Mamdani was a board member for the MDCNY just after Sarsour’s presidency ended.
While he was with the MDCNY, Mamdani and Sarsour appeared in multiple photos together as she remained a regular presence with the club. MDCNY repeatedly touted Mamdani’s campaign for mayor this year, including hosting Mamdani for campaign events, including alongside Sarsour.
The Muslim club posted on Instagram that “we are incredibly proud of our former board member, Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@zohrankmamdani), on his historic win!!” The group added: “This is our moment — the first Muslim Mayor in NYC’s history! Thank you to our dedicated volunteers who for months canvassed, phone banked, talked to their neighbors, registered voters, and so much more. This is our win!”
Sarsour replied that she was “so so so proud of @MuslimDemsNY” and followed that with three heart emojis.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also celebrated Mamdani’s win with a lengthy post on X.
“CAIR congratulates @ZohranKMamdani on his historic election as Mayor of New York City and we congratulate the people of New York City, including many New York Muslims, for exercising their right to vote in massive numbers,” CAIR tweeted. “The election of New York City's first Muslim mayor represents a historic turning point for American Muslim political engagement. Mayor-Elect Mamdani's ability to win while openly advocating for Palestinian human rights and experiencing a barrage of anti-Muslim hate also marks a historic rebuke of both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in politics.”
CAIR, which has a close affiliation with Sarsour and repeatedly has her appear at events as a lecturer or keynote speaker, also poured money into Mamdani’s mayoral race this year, according to campaign finance records.
Mamdani had spoken at imam Siraj Wahhaj's Brooklyn mosque in October and praised him on X as “one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community for nearly half a century.”
The imam has a long history of incendiary commentary and appeared as a character witness for Egyptian Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman – commonly known as the “Blind Sheikh” – who was convicted of seditious conspiracy in 1995 for his involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and other plots to bomb major NYC landmarks.
Wahhaj and Mamdani praised each other during the remarks at the Brooklyn mosque last month.
“We have a lot to do. Inshallah [God willing], real soon we’re going to have a new mayor in New York City,” said Wahhaj, who made a face as if pretending to act shocked. “And he might be sitting right here somewhere.” Wahhaj then pretended to look around.
“My family will tell you how much love I have for him. … One of the best ever that I’ve ever heard ever, and I’ve met all the mayors of New York City. I’ve never met one like this young brother here, Mamdani,” Wahhaj said. “Now, I’m not going to tell everyone to go vote for Mamdani – though you should – but I want to say that we’re very happy to have him.”
Wahhaj then directed his remarks to Mamdani directly: “I want to let you know that our prayers are with you. I love you more than you can ever imagine.
The Instagram account for Wajjah’s mosque, Masjid At Taqwa - Brooklyn, on Tuesday shared a portion of Wahhaj’s remarks praising Mamdani at the mosque back in October. The caption of the post from Wahhaj’s mosque said: “We have The First Muslim mayor in New York City! Zohran mamdani! A Big Win For NYC And History Was Made!”
Mamdani has been a longtime DSA member and leader, and he is listed as one of the group’s nine “New York State Socialists in Office.”
A recently unearthed clip from 2023 shows Mamdani telling the DSA national conference — which he was the keynote speaker for — that “when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it has been laced by the IDF.”
DSA-NYC hosted more than a dozen election watch parties across the city on Tuesday.
“The next mayor of New York City is a dues-paying member of DSA. Join the winning team,” the socialist group tweeted when he won. They added: “We look to the future with a young, Muslim, Democratic socialist mayor who proudly identifies as such.”
The DSA’s national organization also celebrated the DSA member’s mayoral victory.
“Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s win as the next mayor of New York City is a win for the working class. New Yorkers achieved the most monumental electoral victory for the US socialist movement in the last century — despite the millions of dollars invested to stop us,” the DSA said. “Through Zohran’s victory, the people defeated the oligarchy; the working class defeated major corporations; Democratic Socialism defeated the Democratic Party status quo.”
The national DSA group argued that “thousands of DSA members in NYC-DSA played critical roles in the campaign as staff and volunteers” and that “Zohran wasn’t afraid to say boldly what his voters and the majority of Americans believe: that Palestine should be free, and that the U.S. shouldn’t be complicit in Israel’s genocide.”
Just the News obtained internal plans from the NYC-DSA’s Anti-War Working Group detailing how the group intends to pressure Mamdani to inject anti-Israel policies into the management — and life — of the Big Apple.
Jeremy Corbyn, a former UK Labour Party member of Parliament who was expelled from leadership over multiple anti-Semitism accusations, tweeted over the weekend that “I’m hosting a phone bank” with the NYC-DSA to “Get Out The Vote” for Mamdani.
Corbyn tweeted his “congratulations” to Mamdani after the win. The leftist British politician said: “Congratulations to @ZohranKMamdani! You ignited a grassroots campaign, built on the radical idea that everyone deserves to live in dignity. This is a seismic victory — not only for the people of New York, but for all those who believe that humanity & hope can prevail.”
Mamdani had run as both a Democrat and on the leftwing Working Families Party line, and the latter’s New York chapter tweeted, “Welcome to City Hall, Mayor @ZohranKMamdani.”
The Working Families Party’s national organization crowed, “26 billionaires spent over $22 million to defeat @ZohranKMamdani. They lost. Why? Because regular people came together around an agenda that prioritized making life easier for more people. It beat big money. That is how we win.”
Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., tweeted out a photo of himself with Mamdani.
“Starting at 1% in the polls, @ZohranKMamdani pulled off one of the great political upsets in modern American history. Yes. We CAN create a government that represents working people and not the 1%,” Sanders said. “I look forward to working with Zohran as he builds a city that works for all.”
Former DSA member and current leftwing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also shared a photo of herself and Mamdani hugging. She tweeted: “Greatest city on earth. [Statue of Liberty emoji] Congratulations @zohrankmamdani.”
Alex Soros, the son of and heir to billionaire bankroller of leftist causes George Soros, shared a picture of himself and Mamdani together, tweeting, “So proud to be a New Yorker! The American dream continues! Congrats, Mayor @ZohranKMamdani.”
Leaders from the socialist revolutionary financial network backed by billionaire Neville Singham also celebrated Mamdani’s win. Singham, who sold his ThoughtWorks tech company in 2017, and has used the money to fund openly Communist endeavors globally.
Singham has been described as a “comrade” of — and is a financial backer of — the People’s Forum, a Marxist revolutionary group based in Manhattan.
“They told us to be afraid of socialism. Yet so many working class New Yorkers rejected fear & voted for Mamdani. Tonight’s victory belongs to all the working people who've been priced out & pushed aside. The fight for an affordable city & a socialist future is heating up in NYC!” Manolo De Los Santos, a founder of The People’s Forum, tweeted in response to Mamdani’s victory.
Claudia De La Cruz, the U.S. presidential nominee for the Singham-linked Party for Socialism and Liberation in 2024 and the former co-executive director of The People’s Forum, called Mamdani’s win “an electoral victory representing a blow to the right wing and the most conservative elements of the Democratic Party is a valuable step — an opening!”
“The people want to live dignified lives and this victory reaffirms that, not only for New Yorkers, but across the country. People aren’t afraid of socialism — the ruling class is! And rightfully so,” Cruz said on X.
PSL openly calls for revolution to bring down the current American system and publicly sympathizes with Communist regimes. The People’s Forum and PSL share a number of connections. Singham has also financially backed a number of other Marxist groups with links to PSL.
PSL itself said Tuesday that “democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral election represents a major political breakthrough” and that “his campaign, which took on the character of a mass movement, energized millions across the city and the country, defied the odds, and has sent large sections of the ruling elite into a panic.”
Mamdani himself cited Eugene Debs, a former five-time U.S. presidential candidate of the Socialist Party of America, in his victory speech on Tuesday, and set about naming his transition team on Wednesday. The first Muslim and DSA member to win the job will take the reins as NYC mayor in January.
Jerry Dunleavy
Source: https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/mamdanis-socialist-and-muslim-backers-including-sarsour-and-wahhaj-take
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