Amid attacks on his faith, Zohran Mamdani excites Muslim, South Asian voters

""I will no longer look for myself in the shadows,""

""I will find myself in the light.""

""He's going to try to open the door for other Muslims,""

Zohran Mamdani stood before the Islamic Cultural Center in the Bronx recalling when Muslim New Yorkers were told to practice faith behind closed doors. An "uncle" once advised him not to say he was Muslim when he ran for Assembly. Mamdani declared he would no longer seek himself in the shadows and would find himself in the light. At 34, he could become the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of the nation's largest city. His campaign mobilized Muslim, South Asian and Indo-Caribbean voters as part of a diverse coalition. Opponents deployed Islamophobic tropes to narrow his lead. Muslim New Yorkers view the candidacy as a historic moment for a frequently marginalized community.

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