NYC Mayor's Race: Mamdani rails against Islamophobia in emotional speech; Cuomo charges Dem nominee is playing victim' | amNewYork

"Following a spate of recent controversial actions by Mamdani's mayoral election rivals that he and others have condemned as Islamophobic, the Muslim Democratic nominee delivered an emotional, 10-minute address on Friday in which he described his own experience with anti-Muslim discrimination and vowed to address the issue head-on going forward. During Mamdani's address outside of the Muslim Cultural Center of the Bronx, he called out his chief rival Cuomo, Republican"

"Cuomo responded in his own fiery Friday news conference with Muslim leaders in Jackson Heights, Queens, where he charged that Mamdani is an actor playing the victim, but in reality, he's the offender. The former governor further asserted that Mamdani has offended and scared Jewish people across the city through actions like his hesitation to denounce the phrase globalize the intifada, a term which the Democratic nominee now discourages using."

"Mamdani: No amount of redirection is ever enough' Mamdani, a democratic socialist Queens lawmaker, said his adversaries' comments were emblematic of the persistent Islamophobia he has experienced throughout his year-long mayoral campaign."

Zohran Mamdani delivered an emotional ten-minute address outside the Muslim Cultural Center of the Bronx condemning Islamophobia and recounting personal experiences with anti-Muslim discrimination. He singled out rivals Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa, and Mayor Eric Adams for what he described as Islamophobic remarks woven into their campaign messages. Cuomo held a news conference in Jackson Heights accusing Mamdani of playing the victim and alleging Mamdani's actions have frightened Jewish New Yorkers, citing his hesitation to denounce the phrase 'globalize the intifada.' Mamdani has faced criticism for pro-Palestine stances and refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Sliwa's campaign accused Mamdani of weaponizing Islamophobia claims for political gain. A spokesperson for Adams had not responded to requests for comment.

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