Zohran Mamdani

[[File:Zohran Mamdani 05.25.25 (b) (cropped).jpg|right|165px|thumb|Zohran Mamdani.]]
{{uspolitics}}
'''Zohran Kwame Mamdani''' {{lived|1991|}} is a [[Uganda]]n-born American politician who is currently serving as the 112<sup>th</sup> mayor of [[Fun:New York City|New York City]] (NYC) since 2026, succeeding [[DINO]] {{wpl|Eric Adams||.}}<ref>{{cite web | last=Honan | first=Katie | title=Mamdani Takes the Helm as City's New Mayor | website=THE CITY - NYC News | date=2026-01-01 | url=https://www.thecity.nyc/2026/01/01/mamdani-sworn-in-as-nyc-mayor/ | access-date=2026-01-12}}</ref> He is NYC's first [[Muslim]] mayor, a self-proclaimed [[democratic socialist]], and also a member of the [[Democratic Socialists of America]] (DSA). He ran as a [[Democrat]] in a three-way race against establishment favorite and former governor (and sexual predator) [[Andrew Cuomo]] and Republican candidate {{wpl|Curtis Sliwa||,}} winning the {{wpl|2025 New York City mayoral election||.}}

==His upbringing==
Zohran was born on October 18, 1991, in Kampala, [[Uganda]]. His father is {{wpl|Mahmood Mamdani||,}} an anti-colonialist professor (who is Muslim), and his mother is award-winning filmmaker {{wpl|Mira Nair}} (who is [[Hindu]]).<ref>{{cite web | last=Marcelo | first=Philip | title=Who is Zohran Mamdani? State lawmaker seeks to become NYC's first Muslim and Indian American mayor | website=AP News | date=2025-06-25 | url=https://apnews.com/article/nyc-mayoral-democratic-primary-zohran-mamdani-f87ea9d5b649cea8335ca7df6399c1f0 | access-date=2026-01-07}}</ref> At the age of 5, Mamdani moved to Cape Town, [[South Africa]] with his family. The family then moved to the US and settled in New York City when he was 7.

Mamdani graduated from {{wpl|Bronx High School of Science||,}} in 2010, and later attended Bowdoin College, where he co-founded the school's chapter of {{wpl|Students for Justice in Palestine||,}} this would be the start of Mamdani's long stretch of activism for [[Palestine]].

====Early career====
In 2015 Mamdani volunteered for {{wpl|Ali Najmi||'s}} campaign for NYC City Council in 2015.

In 2017 Mamdani joined the Democratic Socialists of America, running for the 36<sup>th</sup> State Assembly district and won with the endorsement of the DSA.

==Mayor of New York City==
On his first day in office, Mayor Mamdani signed multiple executive orders overturning Eric Adams' executive orders ever since Adams was criminally indicted. This meant he revoked Adams' executive orders which backed [[Israel]] and punished pro-Palestine protesters. For example,  Adams blocked all city agencies from divesting from Israel and expanded the definition of antisemitism to match the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition; both were hence reversed by Mamdani. <ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/02/politics/zohran-mamdani-housing-israel-executive-orders "Mamdani revokes Israel-related executive orders signed by Adams, directs team to focus on housing in first acts as mayor," CNN]</ref> <ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/nyregion/mamdani-revoke-israel-orders.html "Inside Mamdani's Decision to Revoke Executive Orders that Backed Israel," New York Times]</ref> 

Zohran also signed several executive orders helping homeless shelters, providing protections for tenants/renters against landlords, prohibiting [[Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] agents from entering city property without a judicial warrant, ordering agencies to audit their interactions with federal immigration authorities, and establishing a new interagency response committee for major enforcement actions. This meant Zohran blocked ICE from operating in parking garages, parking lots, schools, shelters, hospitals, and other public spaces, which prompted Homeland Security (which ICE works under) to condemn him publicly for the decision. <ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/nyregion/mamdani-rikers-solitary-confinement.html "Mamdani Signs Executive Orders on Homeless Shelters and City Jails," New York Times]</ref> 

After a mere eight days in office, Zohran damn-near immediately implemented his free childcare program with help from Governor Kathy Hochul, intending to make it universal by the third year of his mayoralty.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/hochul-mamdani-free-child-care-a4f06b6cd4ac26122daf736067f6c7e9 "Hochul and Mamdani unveil free child care plan in New York City," Associated Press]</ref> <ref>[https://www.npr.org/2026/01/08/nx-s1-5671045/nyc-mayor-mamdani-discusses-new-york-state-expansion-of-childcare-funding "Mamdani says New York child care expansion a real step to fulfilling campaign pledge," NPR]</ref> <ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/10/kathy-hochul-zohran-mamdani-childcare "Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani are showing what ‘pro-family’ means," Arwa Mahdawi, The Guardian]</ref>

Another major policy goal during his campaign was to provide one free government-run and government-owned public grocery store at each of the five boroughs to help drive down the cost of groceries. The first move is to scout so-called food deserts, which are areas where "availability of fresh and affordable food is scarce." <ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-02-11/mamdani-s-grocery-plan-advances-as-nyc-resets-economic-policy "Mamdani’s Grocery Plan Takes Shape In Economic Policy Shift," Bloomberg]</ref> 

Zohran plans to fulfill another campaign promise by freezing prices for rent-stabilized households. The way to do that is to appoint five of the nine-member Rent Guidelines Board, which Zohran was able to do by early 2026. <ref>[https://www.curbed.com/article/zohran-mamdani-rent-guidelines-board-freeze-majority.html "How Mamdani Gets His Rent Freeze," Curbed]</ref> As explained by CBS, "while the mayor does not have the power to directly raise or lower rents, having his hand-picked board members in place would, theoretically, put him in a position to influence their decision." In fact rent was already frozen under Mayor Bill de Blasio, whereas Eric Adams allowed the rent to increase all four days of his mayoralty. <ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/zohran-mamdani-new-york-city-rent-freeze/ "Zohran Mamdani ran on a promise to freeze rent. Here's how NYC's mayor can control the rates," CBS]</ref> True to form, Mamdani swiftly appointed five new members of the Rent Guidelines Board (and reappointed another for a total of six), with labor-aligned former city housing official Chantella Mitchell as the new chair. The RGB votes each year on the amount that owners of rent-stabilized apartments can legally raise monthly rents. On three occasions, all under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, the board voted for a year-long freeze. Mamdani plans to have the RGB vote for a rent freeze all four years of his first term. <ref>[https://gothamist.com/news/mamdani-names-new-rent-guidelines-board-majority-testing-rent-freeze-pledge "Mamdani names new Rent Guidelines Board majority, testing rent freeze pledge," Gothamist]</ref>

==[[Bullshit]] talking points==
Since Mamdani ran for [[NYC]] mayor there has been a series of false accusations against him printed in the [[media]]. These include:
*Supporting [[DAESH]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Right-Wing Influencers Spread False ISIS Link to NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani | website=Channel8 | date=2025-11-04 | url=https://channel8.com/english/news/48066 | ref={{sfnref|Channel8|2025}} | access-date=2026-01-07}}</ref> 
*Attempting to enact [[Sharia law]]
*Being an Islamist and leftist (two is ideologies typically diametrically opposed to each other)
*Being a "[[red-baiting|communist lunatic]]"<ref>{{cite web | title=Fact check: Is Zohran Mamdani a communist? | website=Al Jazeera | date=2025-06-27 | url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/27/fact-check-is-zohran-mamdani-a-communist | ref={{sfnref|Al Jazeera|2025}} | access-date=2026-01-07}}</ref> 
*Planning a second [[9/11]] while being a member of [[Al-Qaeda]]<ref>{{cite web | last=Wright | first=Juwayriah | title=Islamophobia Surges Online After Zohran Mamdani's Win | website=TIME | date=2025-07-09 | url=https://time.com/7301271/zohran-mamdani-muslim-islamophobia-trump/ | access-date=2026-01-07}}</ref> 
*Being both a raging [[antisemite]] and "[[No true Scotsman|not Muslim enough]]" for some of his Muslim constituents.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Ford | first1=Matt | last2=Burack | first2=Cristina | title=Fact check: Claims of extremism against Mamdani debunked – DW – 06/27/2025 | website=dw.com | date=2025-06-27 | url=https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-claims-of-extremism-against-mamdani-debunked/a-73058573 | access-date=2026-01-07}}</ref>
*Taking houses away from [[white people]].<ref>[https://www.jezebel.com/jd-vance-calls-mamdani-the-guy-who-wants-to-take-all-property-away-from-white-people Jezebel: "JD Vance Calls Mamdani ‘The Guy Who Wants to Take All Property Away from White People’"]</ref>
*Why [[snow]] is not melting in New York during a stormy winter season of Jan-Feb 2026.<ref>{{cite web |last= Gabbatt  |first=Adam |date=February 8, 2026 |title= Rightwing critics blame Mamdani as New York snow fails to melt|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/08/mamdani-snow-ice-freeze-storm |website=The Guardian |access-date=February 9, 2026}}</ref>

At the same time, [[tankies]] accused Mamdani of being a zionist (despite the obvious). Usually because they deem [[Genocide|anything short of the complete eradication of Israel and its population in the most brutal way possible]] as well as uncritical support for [[Hamas]] as being on par with the likes of [[Bibi]].<ref group=note>These people generally [[Echo chamber|don't understand]] that most people don't hold Hamas in high regard, though don't bring this up with them as they really [[Denialism|don't like being faced with reality.]]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Keith Ellison]], America's first Muslim congressman, who also faced the same bigotry at the time.
*[[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]], another DSA member from NYC.

==External links==
*{{wpl|Sadiq Khan||,}} Muslim mayor of [[London]], who faced racism from the [[mainstream media]].

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Conspiracy theorist scapegoats]]
[[Category:LGBTQ rights activists]]
[[Category:Left-wing activists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Muslims]]
[[Category:New York]]
[[Category:Socialists]]
[[Category:United States politicians]]

Categories: Conspiracy theorist scapegoats, LGBTQ rights activists, Left-wing activists, Living people, Muslims, New York, Socialists, United States politicians