NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani Under Fire For Praising Controversial Imam

"The socialist candidate shared an image of the meeting on X, calling Wahhaj "one of the nation's foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community for nearly half a century." Mamdani's opponent, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, quickly condemned the move, pointing to Wahhaj being an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center terror attack. Today at Masjid At-Taqwa, I had the pleasure of meeting with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, one of the nation's foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community for nearly half a century. I was also joined by CM @dr_yusefsalaam of Harlem. A beautiful Jummah. pic.twitter.com/4kcN4CGlUk- Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) October 18, 2025"

"Cuomo also accused the Imam of preaching "radical hate toward the LGBTQ community," and linked the meeting to a recent controversy involving Mamdani and a Ugandan politician responsible for anti-LGBTQ legislation. "When people tell you who they are, you should believe them," Cuomo stated, according to the New York Post."

"Independent journalist Andy Ngo further detailed the controversy, noting that Wahhaj's son and two daughters were convicted in 2023 for planning Islamic terror attacks from an Islamic separatist compound in New Mexico, where they also killed a young child. Critics are now pressuring Mamdani to address the fallout from his decision to meet with the controversial religious leader."

Zohran Mamdani met Imam Siraj Wahhaj at Masjid At-Taqwa and posted a photo on X calling Wahhaj a foremost Muslim leader and a Bed-Stuy community pillar for nearly fifty years. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo condemned the meeting, citing Wahhaj as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and accusing the imam of preaching "radical hate toward the LGBTQ community." Independent reporting noted Wahhaj's son and two daughters were convicted in 2023 for planning terror attacks and killing a child at a New Mexico compound. Critics are pressuring Mamdani to respond to the fallout.

Read at Tampa Free Press