Mamdani forced to clarify relative invoked in viral Islamophobia anecdote as questions swirl
In a recent controversy surrounding his candidacy for mayor of New York City, socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani clarified an anecdote he shared about his “aunt” avoiding the subway due to post-9/11 Islamophobia. During a speech on October 24, Mamdani recounted how his aunt, whom he referred to as “Zehra fuhi”—a term for paternal aunt in Hindi and Urdu—stopped using the subway after the September 11 attacks because she no longer felt safe wearing her hijab. This emotional account was meant to highlight the ongoing issues of Islamophobia, but it quickly drew skepticism and backlash on social media, particularly from conservative commentators and critics who questioned the authenticity of his story.
Critics pointed out that Mamdani’s only biological aunt, Dr. Masuma Mamdani, had lived in Tanzania during the time frame he mentioned, raising doubts about the veracity of his claims. Additionally, public records indicated that she did not wear a hijab, further fueling the controversy. The situation escalated when Vice President JD Vance weighed in, mocking Mamdani’s assertion and framing it as an exaggerated narrative. The scrutiny intensified not just on Mamdani’s anecdote but also on his family’s background, particularly his father, Mahmood Mamdani, who has faced criticism for his controversial academic statements and his ties to anti-Israel organizations.
In response to the backlash, Zohran Mamdani has defended his positions on Israel and Islamophobia, asserting that the criticisms he faces are often rooted in anti-Muslim sentiment. He articulated his vision for a New York where Muslims are treated equally, stating, “The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker.” His campaign has garnered significant attention, with his statements reaching millions on social media, underscoring the contentious nature of his candidacy and the broader conversations about identity, race, and politics in America today. As the election approaches, Mamdani’s narrative and the reactions to it reflect the complexities of campaigning in a diverse city like New York, where personal stories intersect with larger societal issues.
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New York City socialist mayoral candidate
Zohran Mamdani
offered up a clarification on Monday about an anecdote that sparked controversy on social media related to an anecdote he told about his “aunt” not using the subway in New York City due to post-9/11 Islamophobia.
“I was speaking about Zehra fuhi, my father’s cousin, who passed away a few years ago,” Mamdani told reporters on Monday, using the term “fuhi” which the New York Post reported means paternal aunt in Hindi and Urdu, after social media users had raised questions about the veracity of his story.
“I want to speak to the memory of my aunt who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab,” Mamdani, fighting back tears,
told a crowd
on Oct. 24 while outlining his concerns about Islamophobia and suggesting that criticisms of his anti-Israel positions are rooted in a disdain toward his Muslim faith.
Shortly after that clip hit the internet, a wave of criticism hit from conservatives and internet sleuths who poked holes in the story and suggested Mamdani had embellished it, pointing to his one direct biological aunt, Dr. Masuma Mamdani, listing on her LinkedIn that she worked and presumably lived in Tanzania from January 2000 to December 2003. Additionally, publicly available photos of Masuma Mamdani don’t show her wearing a hijab.
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The controversy reached the White House in the form of a
post on X
from Vice President JD Vance who expressed skepticism about the story.
“According to Zohran the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks,” the vice president wrote.
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Mamdani’s father Mahmood, who Zohran Mamdani says is the cousin of the deceased aunt, has faced criticism during the campaign for his past controversial statements as a professor at Columbia University, including a claim that Hitler was
inspired by Abraham Lincoln
, which resurfaced on social media in recent days.
Mahmood Mamdani also sits on the advisory council of an anti-Israel organization that supports boycotts and sanctions of Israel, and routinely accuses the Israeli government of committing “genocide”, Fox News Digital
reported this summer.
“Suicide bombing needs to be understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism,” the elder Mamdani wrote in his 2004 book Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror.
“We need to recognize the suicide bomber, first and foremost, as a category of soldier.”
Zohran Mamdani has pushed back in recent days against critics of his various anti-Israel policies and statements dating back to his time in college and suggested that those criticisms are rooted in anti-Muslim bigotry.
“The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker,” Mamdani
posted on X
on Friday with a video that was viewed at least 24 million times. “And yet, for too long, we have been told to ask for less than that, and endure hatred and bigotry in the shadows. No more.”
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
