Authored by Cynthia Farahat via American Greatness,
New York City’s 2025 mayoral race has thrust Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and New York State Assembly member, into the spotlight as the Democratic nominee. His candidacy, while historic as potentially the first Muslim and Indian-American mayor, raises serious concerns due to his (1) adherence to the Shi’a Twelver sect, (2) support of Hamas jihadist terrorists and its parent group, the Muslim Brotherhood, (3) rabid antisemitism, and (4) devastating economic implications of his socialist policies. Mamdani’s candidacy is a natural result of decades of failed NYC policies toward Islamists and jihadists, which have almost turned the city into a Muslim Brotherhood sanctuary. Mamdani’s candidacy is a symptom of a larger Islamist problem in NYC.
While many American Muslims in New York City are patriotic and capable of great leadership, Mamdani’s religious and ideological stances demand scrutiny. Mamdani wants to rule New York City, but who rules Mamdani?
New York City is home to over half a million Muslims, many of whom contribute significantly to the city’s vibrant fabric. Numerous Muslim leaders possess the vision, integrity, and capability to serve as mayor, championing policies that align with American values and the U.S. Constitution; however, Mamdani is not among them. He belongs on a terror watchlist and not in a mayoral race.
1. Religious Affiliation and Allegiances
On July 14, 2025, The Conversation news website published an article about Mamdani. The article supported Mamdani’s mayoral candidacy and discussed his religious affiliation. While it is widely known that Mamdani is a Shi’a Muslim, the article states he specifically adheres to the Shia Twelver sect. This is also confirmed by Mamdani’s father. In 2013, Mahmood Mamdani was interviewed by Warscapes magazine, where he discussed his family’s origins, stating, “My family had come over 100 years ago from Gujarat, from Kathiawad.” The family belongs to the Khoja, a sect of Gujarati Shia Muslims.
According to the official Khoja Shi’a Twelver website, the Khoja community traces its origins to the Lohana community in Gujarat, India. In 1400 AD, Pir Sadruddin converted members of the Lohana community into Khojas, initiating their association with Shia Islam. The term “Khoja” is derived from the Persian word “Khawaja,” signifying a learned or respected individual. Initially, Khojas followed the Nizari Ismaili sect under the Aga Khan. However, in the late 19th century, a significant number of Khojas converted to the Twelver Shia Ithna Ashariyyah sect. This shift was influenced by religious leaders such as Sheikh Zainul Abedeen Mazendarani and Mulla Qadir Husein, who played pivotal roles in converting the Khojas to Twelver Shia beliefs and practices.
The Twelver sect is also known as Shi’a Imamate and Shi’a Ja’farites. It is the same sect adhered to by the mullahs in Tehran since the 1979 revolution. While most Muslims are peaceful, the Shi’a Twelvers cling to an extremist belief system that has subjugated millions of Muslims and non-Muslims across the world.
The Shi’a Twelver Sect, Wilayat Al-Faqih, and Why Mamdani’s Religious Affiliation is Problematic
The two major sects in Shi’ite Islam are the Ithna Ashariyyah (Twelvers) and Al-Isma’iliyya (Isma’ilis), or Seveners. The Twelvers believe in the authority of twelve imams, who were appointed by God to lead the Muslim nation after the death of Prophet Mohammed, and they continue to be represented by the Ayatollah (Imam).
The Isma’ilis believe in only seven imams. Both sects agree upon the first six imams, the last of whom was Ja’far as-Sadiq. The battle for succession between the two sects surrounds as-Sadiq’s sons. The Isma’ilis argued that the custodian of the religion should be as-Sadiq’s oldest son, Isma’il. The Twelvers believe his younger brother, Musa al-Kazim, was the legitimate imam, and his lineage continued until the twelfth imam, who disappeared in 873.
The Shi’a Twelver faith teaches the absolute belief in the infallibility of the Ayatollah as the sole religious authority. According to their faith, the Ayatollah is the only legitimate ruler, leader, and religious authority for every Twelver Muslim. The Ayatollah is often referred to as the Imam, hence the term “Imamate” in reference to the Twelvers.
What is Wilayat Al-Faqih?
Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which overthrew the Pahlavi monarchy and established the Islamic Republic of Iran under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s leadership, the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih, commonly translated as “Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist” but more accurately as “governance of the faqih,” was enshrined as the constitutional foundation for the Supreme Leader (Rahbar) system.
Khomeini used terms like “governance of the faqih” (vilayat-i faqih in Persian transliteration), “guardianship of the just faqih,” and “authority of the jurist” interchangeably. He provides rational, textual (Quranic/hadith-based), and historical proofs in his books.
His integration transformed the theological concept into a practical governance model, vesting ultimate authority in a qualified Shi’a jurist to lead the ummah (Muslim nation) during the occultation (ghaybah) of the Twelfth Imam, Imam Mahdi. The 1979 Constitution, drafted by the Assembly of Experts and approved via referendum, explicitly bases the political structure on this principle, ensuring the Supreme Leader’s supremacy over all branches of government while drawing legitimacy from Shi’a primary sources such as hadiths and narrations from the Imams.
According to prominent Shi’a scholar Shihab Al-Din Mujtahid, he quotes the foremost doctrinally authoritative scholar in Shi’a history, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq. Sadiq not only confirms the absolute authority of the ruling Imam, who is currently Ali Khamenei, but also states that challenging his absolute authority in any public or private matter constitutes shirk (polytheism), the greatest crime in Islamic thought, which is punishable by death. Mujtahid states:
Imam as-Sadiq (pbuh) said, “I have appointed him a hakim [ruler] over you. If such a person orders (judges) according to our ruling and the person concerned does not accept it, then he has shown contempt for the ruling of God and rejects us; and he who rejects us actually rejects Allah, and such a person is close to associating Shirk [polytheism] with Allah.”
In this tradition, Imam as-Sadiq (pbuh) addresses the role of a just faqih (hakim) [ruler] who has been entrusted with authority by the infallible Imam. According to this hadith, the people are not allowed to have recourse to an illegitimate or oppressive authority for the resolution of their problems. Instead, they are required to refer to the Wali (hakim) and obey his decisions, regardless of whether or not he is their marja’a taqleed [Grand Ayatollah].
This is Mamdani’s religious doctrine from its primary source. Unless Mamdani has apostatized from his Shi’a Twelver sect, which he has not, his sole religious and political authority is indeed Ali Khamenei, according to his own faith. Mamdani has never issued a statement nor shown that he contradicts this fundamental element of his faith. His various actions, affiliations, and statements indicate his alignment with this theology.
In his book, ‘Akaid al-Imamiyya (The Faith of the Imamate), world-renowned Shi’a scholar and authority Muhammad Rida al-Muzaffar states that the belief in the absolute authority of the Imam (Ayatollah) is a “fundamental pillar of the religion, and there cannot be faith without this belief.” He adds that the Ayatollah is ordained by God and is considered as holy and as infallible as a prophet.
This raises serious concerns regarding Mamdani’s ideology and whether this ideology translates into a closer proximity to the terror-sponsoring regime in Tehran. This needs to be investigated because, as mayor, he will have significant power to dictate and control a significant portion of NYC’s counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts.
The Use of Dissimulation and Deceit
In both Sunni and Shi’ite fundamentalist theologies, taqiyya (dissimulation) is a pragmatic juridical term that allows Muslims to lie and forge alliances with their rivals if doing so serves the long-term agenda of Muslim rulers or nations. In his book Hukumat-e Islami (Islamic Government), Ayatollah Khomeini wrote, “Taqiyya is my religion and the religion of my forefathers.” These elements are concerning aspects of Mamdani’s faith because they suggest his allegiance to the Ayatollah in Tehran rather than to the U.S. Constitution and Western laws, which are deemed infidel by the Twelver sect. The belief in utilizing dissimulation means no one knows when Mr. Mamdani is lying or telling the truth.
2. Mamdani’s Open Support for Terrorism and His Affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood
(2.1) Shi’as and the Muslim Brotherhood
While Westerners predominantly focus on the Sunni-Shi’a division, they often ignore that it is also a history of fourteen centuries of military and ideological cooperation between Islamists from both sects when it comes to warfare against their common enemies. Hence, the Twelver sect is recognized by Sunnis as a legitimate fifth school of Islamic jurisprudence. In April 1960, Muslim Brotherhood member Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltout (1893–1963), Grand Imam of al-Azhar University in Cairo, issued a historic fatwa (religious edict) titled, “The permissibility of worship through Islamic sects, including the Shi’a Twelver Imamate denomination.” Shaltout and al-Azhar officially recognized the Ja’fari jurisprudence of Shi’a Twelvers as a fifth school of Islam. This provided both Sunni and Shi’a jihadists a religious framework to allow them to collaborate on every front. This legitimized militants from both sects to ally against their common enemies. Hence, the alliance between Shi’a Muslim militants and the Muslim Brotherhood from the group’s inception. This explains why many Brotherhood operatives and front groups in the U.S. support Mamdani.
The Sunni-Shia alliance project dates back to the founding of the Muslim Brotherhood and has culminated in a joint jihadist project based in Tehran called “The World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought.” According to its official website, the agency aims to “explicate resistance groups and movements which counter Western and American dominance and Zionist occupation,” declaring the Republic of Iran “as the leader of revolution in the Islamic world.” The proximity project leaders in Tehran are playing a significant role in networking terrorists worldwide.
(2.2) Mamdani, CAIR, and ICNA
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) super PAC, Unity and Justice Fund, reportedly funded Mamdani in his effort to become New York City mayor to the tune of $100,000, according to The Washington Free Beacon report, citing campaign records. CAIR is a Muslim Brotherhood front group and was designated as a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates in November 2014. In 2008, during the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial, prosecutors listed CAIR as an unindicted co-conspirator, identifying it as a front for the Muslim Brotherhood alongside other groups like the Islamic Society of North America (ICNA).
Mamdani’s campaign also received funds from the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), another group closely tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. According to the New York Post, five staffers of ICNA gave $1,300 in individual contributions to Mamdani’s campaign. ICNA is a designated terrorist group in India and Russia.
(2.3) Mamdani and the Muslim Brotherhood Imam Muhammad Al-Barr
Mamdani doesn’t attempt to hide his extremism. In July, the New York Post reported that Mamdani visited a radical Brooklyn mosque—just months after the imam called for the annihilation of Israel. Mamdani posted a picture of himself speaking at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge, alongside radical cleric Sheikh Muhammad Al-Barr, aka Mohamed Elbar, on his social media in January. The picture shows Mamdani sharing the podium with Barr. The article adds that Mamdani posted, “It was a privilege to join Jummah prayers at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge today,” in the post on X dated January 17. Mamdani’s visit occurred five months after Barr called for the “annihilation” of Jews and stated that Hamas terrorists “mujahideen in Gaza are achieving more than our Arab armies could in 1967 and 1973,” referencing the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War.
Barr, however, is far more dangerous than just being an extremist imam. He is a renowned Muslim Brotherhood leader. He holds a prominent position as a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, the Brotherhood’s international body of senior theologians, and a designated terror group in the UAE. Barr has a record of spouting terroristic rhetoric. For example, in November 2016, during an event organized by a NYC-based Brotherhood group called Egyptian Americans for Freedom and Justice (EAFAJ), Barr declared that the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi “ought to be beheaded.”
Barr comes from a prominent Muslim Brotherhood family. His brother, Abdul Rahman Al-Barr, was a high-ranking and brutal leader in the Muslim Brotherhood and a member of the Guidance Bureau, which is the group’s public governing body. Abdul Rahman was incarcerated in Egypt in 2015 and is currently on death row for several terror-related crimes and assassinations. Muhammad Al-Barr frequently praises his terrorist brother on social media.
Rahman’s brutality earned him the moniker Mufti ad-dam (The Blood Mufti) for his habit of issuing assassination fatwas (religious edicts), which resulted in several deaths, including the assassination of Egypt’s top prosecutor Hisham Barakat in 2015 via a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. The attack was perpetrated by a Muslim Brotherhood terror cell called Ligan el-Amaliat al-Mutaqadima, the Progressive Operations Committee (POC), also sometimes referred to as Special Operations Committees (SOC). Shockingly, one of the leaders of this cell is also a Mamdani supporter.
(2.4) Mamdani is endorsed by a NYC-based Muslim Brotherhood Jihadist.
New York City-based Ahmed Abdel-Basit Mohamed, aka Basit, is an Egyptian convicted terrorist who was implicated in the assassination of Hisham Barakat through his role in the leadership of the youth wing of the POC terror cell. Basit endorsed Zohran Mamdani on June 24 on his official Facebook account.
In 2016, an Egyptian court sentenced Basit to death in absentia for his and seven others’ roles in several terrorist attacks. His conviction was part of one of the largest Muslim Brotherhood terrorism cases. The POC is the military wing of a faction of the Brotherhood’s Secret Apparatus, which was led by senior Brotherhood official Mohammed Kamal, a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Bureau. Egyptian investigators claim that Basit played a key role in the terrorist activities of the POC.
According to Shorouk News, the Egyptian government accused Basit of using Muslim Brotherhood funds for the purchase of arms, ammunition, and bomb-making equipment, as well as facilitating the travel of members of the POC terrorist cell to Turkey and Syria to receive jihadist training. This training reportedly included firearms training and lessons in the manufacture of bombs and improvised explosive devices, under the supervision of the Aknaf Bait al-Maqdis terror group.
On April 5, 2018, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Ahmed Abdel-Basit Mohamed for “administrative immigration violations.” According to anonymous sources in ICE, Basit’s arrest was due to his own personal admission on his Facebook account of his involvement in terrorism and a mass shooting he was involved in in 2013 in Cairo, Egypt.
This is a fact: Basit did indeed admit to his involvement in one of the worst terrorist attacks in Egypt. In an August 16, 2015, Facebook post, Basit admitted to involvement with violent riots in 2013, which led to the death of 210 people and the injury of 296 others in downtown Cairo. The protests started at the al-Fateh Mosque, from where rioters marched to a bridge and reportedly fired automatic guns at civilians and police officers.
In the same Facebook post, Basit posted a picture of a gunman firing an assault rifle. He praised the terrorist, saying, “Due to Allah’s blessing and generosity, an armed man appeared from the end of the bridge; seeking God, the man started shooting at thugs.”
The Egyptian government’s claims regarding Basit’s terrorist activities are credible. Basit is indeed a jihadist. He has called for a “resounding jihad” against those he described as “dirty damned infidels.” He is also connected to Safwat Hegazy, a self-confessed Muslim Brotherhood torturer.
A few days before his arrest by ICE agents, Basit reprimanded leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood for having hosted an event in Turkey without inviting “the Kamal group.” This is a reference to the faction formerly led by Mohammed Kamal, the terrorist with whom Egypt convicted Basit of conspiring.
Before learning of the U.S. court’s decision about his asylum case, Basit removed numerous radical and jihadist posts and confessions from his public Facebook account. But this last-minute attempt to sanitize his reputation did not help. Basit’s asylum case was rejected, and ICE agents arrested him outside his home.
The Huffington Post, Al Jazeera, and several other media outlets have framed Basit’s arrest as a human rights case, claiming that Basit was “condemned over pro-democracy protests in Egypt.” The truth is that Basit was convicted of terrorism in Egypt after organizing a deadly riot. Few people would consider such violence a “pro-democracy protest.” Now, Basit has indeed received asylum in the U.S. against the will of ICE agents who attempted to deport him for his involvement in terrorism. Currently, Basit is an adjunct professor of physics and astronomy at Manhattan University while he continues to associate with Brotherhood radicals such as Bahgat Saber and freely practice Islamist activities in the streets of NYC.
Basit, Saber, and Mamdani were all present at the October 14 radical Islamic pro-Palestine protests in NYC, where Zohran was even arrested for disorderly conduct.
Given Basit’s history, it is not a surprise that he endorses Mamdani.
(2.5) Mamdani’s Glorification of Muslim Brotherhood Convicted Terrorists in the U.S.
In 2017, Mamdani released a rap track under the name Young Cardamom, in which he praised the “Holy Land Five.” He named the song after a group convicted in 2008 of funneling over $12 million to Hamas. Mamdani’s horrific song glorified the leaders convicted of providing support to Hamas. In 2001, the U.S. government labeled the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development a terrorist organization and froze its assets. It is the largest terror-financing case in U.S. history. In the song, Mamdani raps, “My love to the Holy Land Five / You better look ’em up,” referring to the convicted terrorists. Mr. Mamdani belongs on a terror watch list and not on the ballot in the mayoral race of one of the greatest cities in the world.
(2.6) Mamdani and Siraj Wahhaj
On October 17, Mamdani posted a photo on X showing himself smiling and standing arm-in-arm with Imam Siraj Wahhaj at Masjid At-Taqwa in Brooklyn during a Friday prayer event. Wahhaj, 75, is a prominent Brooklyn-based Islamist, imam, and founder of the Muslim Alliance in North America. He is almost certainly a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, for several reasons. For instance, he was named by federal prosecutors as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, a truck bomb attack that killed six people and injured over 1,000 others. Wahhaj has also publicly defended the bombers, calling the FBI and CIA the “real terrorists,” and has a history of inflammatory rhetoric, including calls for “jihad” against the U.S. government.
Wahhaj also served as a character witness for Omar Abdel-Rahman (the “Blind Sheikh”), the plot’s spiritual leader, whom he described as a “respected scholar.” Rahman was the spiritual leader of al-Qaeda and was even named by Osama bin Laden in his first video on Al-Jazeera after the September 11, 2001, attacks. In the video, bin Laden called Rahman a “hostage in an American jail.” He proclaimed that Rahman’s imprisonment was one of his justifications for perpetrating the horrific attack on NYC.
Wahhaj has a long history of associating with jihadists and Brotherhood operatives. It should not come as a surprise that three of his children are convicted terrorists. In August 2018, law enforcement raided a makeshift compound in Taos County, New Mexico, where they found Siraj Wahhaj’s three children and two other adults living with 11 children in squalid conditions. In March 2024, a federal judge in New Mexico sentenced five defendants: Jany Leveille, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, his sisters Hujrah Wahhaj and Subhanah Wahhaj, and Subhanah’s husband, Lucas Morton. Siraj, Hujrah, Subhanah Wahhaj, and Lucas Morton to life in prison without the possibility of parole. They were charged with kidnapping and a terrorism plot to “rid the world of purportedly corrupt institutions, including the FBI, CIA, and U.S. military.”
This is the same man Mamdani’s caption on his X post praised as “one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community for nearly half a century.”
(2.7) Qatar-Related Family Funding
Mamdani’s mother, Soni Razdan Mamdani, received millions in funding for her nonprofit from Hamas, the Taliban, Iran, and Al-Qaeda-affiliated Qataris. The New York Post reported it as a potential indirect influence. Mamdani’s campaign also took $13,000 in illegal foreign donations from 170+ non-U.S. donors. But with all the Islamist affiliates of Mamdani, who needs to worry about further foreign funding?
3. Mamdani is a rabid anti-Semite.
Mamdani proudly voiced his support for “globalize the intifada” during a June 2025 interview with The Bulwark. This is an open endorsement of the murder of Jews. Mamdani denied antisemitic intent, emphasizing his support for Palestinian human rights. This is a typical Islamist tactic of using the grievance du jour to advance their clandestine and overt agenda of infiltrating and subverting the Western “House of War,” according to their theo-political death cult.
Mamdani’s candidacy may pose a threat to the safety of New York’s 1.3 million Jewish residents, the largest Jewish population outside Israel. While Mamdani has condemned antisemitism and promised an 800% increase in funding to combat hate crimes, he is clear on where his allegiance stands and who will most likely receive these funds. This is only one of many of his antisemitic positions.
4. Mamdani’s Devastating Economic Implications of His Socialist Policies
Mamdani’s socialist policies exacerbate concerns about his candidacy’s impact on New York’s economy. His platform, which includes fare-free buses, universal childcare, a $30 minimum wage by 2030, and city-owned grocery stores, relies heavily on taxing the wealthiest 1% and corporations. While appealing to younger voters, these proposals could strain New York’s already high tax burden, potentially driving wealthy residents and businesses out of the city.
These communist fantasies have never caused anything but misery, poverty, and famine everywhere they’ve been implemented. Almost every single socialist-leaning government has led to economic stagnation, inflation, and increased reliance on federal bailouts. The federal government has historically propped up struggling municipalities, but this practice shields politicians like Mamdani from accountability for fiscal mismanagement. New York City cannot afford policies that risk economic mayhem, especially when federal support is not guaranteed under shifting political climates.
Conclusion
Mamdani’s victory over Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary was fueled by radical far-left grassroots support and endorsements from figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It demonstrates his appeal to a radicalized, economically illiterate, and unhinged electorate. Mamdani’s religious adherence to the Shi’a Twelver sect, his blatant support for jihadism, his antisemitism, and his ambitious socialist agenda all raise legitimate concerns about his suitability to lead New York City. Voters must decide whether Mamdani’s allegiance is to the U.S. Constitution or the head of his sect in Tehran. He is a symptom of vast pro-Islamist policies in NYC that need to be reevaluated.
Mamdani is a national security threat. He should be investigated for his brash support for jihadism and his dangerous affiliations. He belongs on a terror watchlist, not in a mayoral race in the city where ideas like his flew into its buildings on September 11, 2001. Mamdani is the final stage of decades of metastatic complicity, infiltration, corruption, and criminally negligent policies of NYC bureaucrats and politicians.
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Cynthia Farahat is the bestselling author of The Secret Apparatus: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Industry of Death.
