On June 27, 2025, advocates reported a surge in anti-Muslim online attacks targeting Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic primary winner for New York City mayor.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Action documented 127 violent hate-related reports against Mamdani’s campaign in the 24 hours after polls closed on June 24, a five-fold increase over the daily average earlier this month. Consequently, this wave of hostility, including death threats and 9/11 comparisons, has raised alarms about rising Islamophobia.
Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist born in Uganda to Indian parents, achieved a surprising victory over former Governor Andrew Cuomo. If elected in November, he would become New York City’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor. However, his victory sparked a wave of xenophobic rhetoric.
Following Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in the New York City Democratic primary election, several Republicans in Congress and right-wing influencers made their intense Islamophobia known to the world through a wave of hateful messages, shared primarily on the platform X pic.twitter.com/aNJtITBkpL
— TRT World (@trtworld) June 26, 2025Donald Trump Jr. posted on X, claiming that “New York City has fallen,” and implying that voters had “chosen 9/11.” Additionally, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene shared an AI-generated image of the Statue of Liberty wearing a burqa.
The New York City Police Department’s hate crimes unit is investigating multiple death threats against Mamdani, including one referencing explosive pagers, per Reuters. Mamdani, emotional on MSNBC, said, “I get messages that say the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.” Meanwhile, his pro-Palestinian advocacy, including criticism of Israel’s Gaza operations since October 2023, has led to antisemitism accusations, which he rejects. He has the support of Jewish Comptroller Brad Lander, who condemned the threats as “hideous,” per Fox News.
CAIR Action reported that there were 6,200 online posts containing Islamophobic slurs during the same period, reflecting a rise in attacks on figures such as Kamala Harris and Ilhan Omar. The ongoing Israel-Gaza war has exacerbated both antisemitism and Islamophobia, with tragic incidents like the fatal stabbing of a Muslim child in Illinois. In response, Mamdani and Jewish allies argue that their criticism of Israel is unfairly labelled as antisemitic and emphasise the importance of equal rights for all.
Read: Cuomo Concedes to Mamdanu in NYC Mayoral Primary
Basim Elkarra from CAIR Action urged public officials to denounce Islamophobia. Despite facing hate, Mamdani remains focused on promoting affordable housing and free transit. As the November election approaches, the NYPD’s ongoing investigation and public discussions will influence the direction of his campaign, with advocates calling for unity against bigotry.
