Mamdani's old posts come back to haunt him; here's why
What's the story
New York City's Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has found himself in controversy over his past social media posts. The controversy was sparked by his old tweets and a recent visit to a Brooklyn mosque during the campaign trail. One of the resurfaced tweets shows him giving the middle finger to a Christopher Columbus statue in Astoria, demanding its removal.
Backlash ensues
'We will defend Columbus Day and Columbus statues...'
The tweet has drawn criticism from figures like Angelo Vivolo, president of the Columbus Heritage Coalition. Vivolo said, "We will defend Columbus Day and Columbus statues." "If you offend one community, you offend all communities. I don't think he will be mayor for all the people of New York City," he said. Left-wing politicians frequently oppose Columbus statues and Columbus Day because of how the explorer treated Native Americans during his voyage to North America.
Al-Awlaki defense
Posts defending al-Qaida-linked cleric Anwar al-Awlaki
Another controversy involves Mamdani's old posts defending Anwar al-Awlaki, a US cleric with ties to al-Qaeda. In a 2015 post, he questioned the FBI's surveillance of Awlaki, asking why there was no proper interrogation into its implications. He also asked why Awlaki would trust the FBI not to release surveillance if he continued critiquing the state. "Why no further discussion of how Awlaki's knowledge of surveillance eventually led him to al-Qaeda?...Or what does that say about the efficacy of surveillance?"
Mosque visit
Mamdani's mosque visit amid ongoing controversy
Amid the controversy, Mamdani's recent visit to the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn has also raised eyebrows. In a video from inside the mosque, he is seen standing next to Sheikh Muhammad Al-Barr. This comes after Al-Barr's sermon calling for "annihilation" of occupiers and liberation of Palestine. "Oh Allah, those who occupied their lands, and those who betrayed and deserted them, and those who spilled their blood," Al-Barr said in Arabic, according to the New York Post.
Election win
Mamdani a target of Trump's wrath
Mamdani won the New York mayoral primary last month, defeating Governor Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani, who identifies as a Democratic socialist, presently represents Astoria and Long Island City in the NY State Assembly. However, his political stance and actions have made him a target of US President Donald Trump, who called him a "100% Communist Lunatic." Trump also threatened that Mamdani would be arrested if he interfered with Homeland Security work.