Earlier this month, at just 33 years old, Zohran Mamdani secured the Democratic primary nomination for mayor of New York City. If successful, he would become the city’s first Muslim and Indian-American mayor. During a time where 26 percent of all Congressmen and women are ethnically and culturally diverse — the most in American history — Mamdani’s win resonates with many. His win broke free of the typical candidate demographic – white/wealthy, Anglo Saxon and Protestant – colloquially known as WASPs.

The ground to break regarding America’s largest city bringing a minority into office is thick. Outside of the thinly veiled racist comments, Mamdani’s perspective has garnered mixed reviews from observers and politicians alike. Not all are welcoming the change.

Globalize the Intifada

Following a June 17 interview with The Bulwark, a Moderate-right wing news and opinion source, Mamdani avoided denouncing the anti-semitic connotation tied to the phrase, “Globalize the intifada.” It is a widely used Palestinian anthem to bring the “uprising” or “rebellion” of oppression to the global scale. Though Palestinians and supporters alike label the phrase a rallying cry for liberation, many Jews and supporters of Israel consider it a call to violence. When Mamdani was asked about his understanding of “Globalize the Intifada” in relation to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, he explained:  

“I know people for whom those things mean very different things. What I hear in so many ways is a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights… [As a] Muslim man who grew up post 9/11, I’m all too familiar [with the] way Arabic words can be twisted…distorted…used to justify any kind of meaning…” 

Afterwards, supporters of Israel found this highly offensive and inflammatory, with some expressing their outrage on social media and in interviews. One group, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) defined Mamdani’s use of the phrase as a “direct call for indiscriminate violence against Israel and Jewish communities everywhere.” At the same time, Britannica refers to the slogan as a “calling for international pressure on Israel to prioritize human rights and self-determination for the Palestinian people.”

Additionally, Basim Elkarra, Executive Director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Action, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties organization, defended Mamdani and defined the phrase as a “call for nonviolent, worldwide solidarity aimed at securing equal rights and safety for everyone in the region.” Elkarra continued, “We call on public officials of every party — including those whose allies are amplifying these smears — to unequivocally condemn Islamophobia.”

Hating From The Right

Amid the Trump administration’s threat to defund higher education institutions and other (DEI) programs, tensions are high.  In an attempt to discredit his Democratic-Socialist views and campaign, both The New York Post and Fox Business have referred to Mamdani as “the left’s DEI push.”

Hating From The Left

Amid politicians’ comments, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) responded to this interview on a radio segment, equating the phrase, “Globalize the Intifada” to a much more explicit choice of words: “Destroy Israel and kill all the Jews.” This aggressive approach to Mamdani’s response was proven ill-founded, and Gillibrand’s office later claimed she “misspoke.” Gillibrand apologized for her comments, which have been labeled racist and extremely offensive. Though the statement was later debunked, the careless comment lingers among other messages of opposition.

After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, fear mongering in the U.S. surrounding practicing Muslims has only grown, even 24 years later. Even after Mamdani secured the Democratic primary nomination, hateful comments continue to thrive on sites like X, Instagram and Facebook. Generally racist and xenophobic posts by both laymen and politicians have started trending. The possibility of Zohran Mamdani becoming New York City’s mayor not only acts as a positive image of representation but also brings the conversation of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate to the forefront of the U.S.’s past, present and future.

Acknowledgment: The ideas expressed are those of the individual author.