Attacks on Muslims flood mainstream after Mamdani win

Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary triggered a wave of Islamophobic attacks from sitting members of Congress. This rhetoric has become normalized at the highest levels of American politics. Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents have reached an all-time high in 2024, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Anti-Defamation League. Rep. Andy Ogles urged the Justice Department to denaturalize and deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Mamdani has spoken openly about the violent threats and hateful messages he's received throughout the campaign. The mainstreaming of Islamophobic rhetoric in political discourse has become more brazen due to the lack of repercussions. Muslim Americans have periodically been the targets of racist and Islamophobic political campaigns since 9/11. Despite the attacks, Mamdani's popularity could help him withstand the wave of attacks he's likely to face. Mamdani has condemned antisemitism and promised to be a mayor for all New Yorkers, focusing on the city's affordability crisis. The volume and intensity of bigoted attacks are likely to grow, but Mamdani's coalition could help him achieve a history-making victory.