Prayer, white robe, “Malcolm X” quote. Zohran Mamdani’s first public appearance after his victory in Sunday’s election did not go unnoticed.
The new mayor of New York, the first openly Muslim and “socialist” in the “Big Apple”, has dedicated one of his first commitments to religion. He was in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Friday to attend an annual summit that brings together American policymakers for a series of meetings and workshops. And he visited the local mosque, participating in the most important prayer of the week at the Islamic center “Montehiedra Mosque”, one of two mosques in the island’s capital.
Appearing smiling and wearing a long shirt with a button at the neck and dark trousers, accompanied by a companion, Mamdani was greeted by cheers upon arrival, participated in the distribution of basic necessities with volunteers, gathered to pray, knelt with others and gave a short speech: “This is the first event I have participated in since I won the election on Tuesday!” he started. And the faithful answer: “Allah Akbar!”, a ritual formula commonly used in celebrations and prayers.
Puerto Rico’s Islamic community includes many Middle Eastern immigrants and their descendants. Next to the mayor, in the picture, you can see a believer with a Palestinian flag around his neck. Around the flag. Continuing his sermon, Mamdani chose to quote the words of his so-called “Muslim brother”, MalcomX, the controversial leader of the African American rights movement, bearer of a radical and divisive vision in the struggle against racism and human rights. “Sitting around a table doesn’t make you a diner,” the mayor said: “It’s time for every New Yorker, in the richest city, in the richest country, to eat.”
Meanwhile, his election still causes a lot of discussion in New York, the city where the most important Jewish community in the United States is located, one of the largest in the world. And Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi of the free synagogue, spoke openly about Mandami – in his sermon. “Stephen Wise, one of the most influential and listening figures in the New York Jewish world who also partly voted for Mamdani (it is estimated that the Dem candidate got about one vote out of every three Jews in the city). “I met Zohran Mamdani after the primary,” he said, explaining that he saw him “with an open heart and an open mind.” But the meeting was inconclusive. “The reason he couldn’t justify his support for slogans like ‘Globalize the Intifada’ was that they represented his fundamental principles. He didn’t hide it; indeed, he was proud of it.” In a worried tone, Hirsch explained that Mamdani was not a “critic of Israel,” but a “dogmatic opponent of Zionism,” “an anti-Zionist in the most populous city on the planet by number of Jews.”
“If he makes anti-Zionism his primary political goal, appointing anti-Zionists to oversee New York’s public schools, using his platform to delegitimize Israel,” Hirsch wrote, “he will endanger all Jews.”
