#Zohran Mamdani

[thebrainofmae]

Hey, if you're feeling despondent about the election and are looking for a way to start channeling that into something, I have a suggestion for you! This is a local NYC thing, but you can still support from outside the city!

Eric Adams' (mayor of NYC, cop, unregistered foreign agent for Turkey according to the FBI, and all round shitty person) term is up soon. The Democratic primary for mayor will be in the spring, and the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the country) has a candidate in the running!

NY State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani is a socialist, an immigrant, and would be the first muslim mayor of NYC. Key policies of his campaign include improving our deteriorating public transportation (have you benefitted from the free bus lines in NYC? That was him!), making housing affordable in NYC by freezing rent stabilized housing (meaning that for the duration of his term, rent for rent stabilized housing will not go up) and building new affordable housing on publicly-owned land, and free universal childcare with higher pay for childcare workers.

As an assembly member, Zohran has consistently supported unions, worked to fund public universities, supported green energy initiatives, and criticized police misconduct.

Significantly, he is staunchly pro-Palestine. He introduced the "Not on Our Dime" bill, which targets "charitable" organizations in NY that are funneling money into Israel. Under this bill, organizations who send money to Israel would no longer be able to claim non-profit status and could actually incur major fines. In November of 2023, he also participated in a five-day hunger strike in support of an immediate ceasefire.

Zohran is an amazing candidate, and his candidacy is an incredible chance for leftist base-building in NYC. If you are concerned about splitting the vote and ending up with some centrist asshole candidate, fear not! NYC has ranked choice voting in primaries, which means you don't need to worry about splitting the vote!

If you can, consider donating to his campaign. NYC has a fund-matching program in mayoral elections, which means your donation will be worth eight times what you give. If you live in NYC, consider signing up to volunteer here.

And if you're interested in DSA more generally, here's our national website.

And just as a fun bonus, here he is after completing the NYC marathon lol

[kick-a-long]

So now an anti Israel (antisemitic) candidate has been looking to run for nyc mayor.

I might have to vote for a republican for the first time in my life. Fucking hate it here.

[thekeypa]

“As Americans, we are not simply observers of this genocide in Gaza, we are actors in it. We must do everything we can to stop it.”

[capitalism-is-parasitism]

Zohran Mamdani is running for NYC mayor

[zvaigzdelasas]

More than a dozen state lawmakers and activists in the U.S.—including actor Cynthia Nixon—have started a hunger strike calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The five state lawmakers taking part in the hunger strike beginning Monday are Delaware State Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton, New York Rep. Zohran Mamdani, Oklahoma Rep. Mauree Turner, Virginia Rep. Sam Rasoul, and Michigan Rep. Abraham Aiyash. They are joined by Nixon and various faith and community leaders.[...]

She hopes the hunger strike will “bring attention to the fact that the U.S. government, our President, and our congressional leaders are funding this policy of starvation.” “We send American taxpayer money to bomb communities in Gaza and I don’t think our president is using his leverage to the extent that he could to bring about a permanent ceasefire,” she says. “We’re seeing the impact of that, which is no food, no water.” [...]

Actor and activist Nixon will participate in the hunger strike for two days. Nixon is one of more than 260 artists who previously signed an open letter calling for President Joe Biden and Congress to commit to a ceasefire. Speaking at a press conference outside the White House on Monday, Nixon spoke of high civilian casualties in Gaza. “None of this is normal," she said. "None of this is routine and none of this can be allowed to continue.”

Sumaya Awad, a Palestinian-American activist and director of strategy and communications at Adalah Justice Project, referenced the recent shooting of three Palestinian-American college students in Vermont. “This is what happens when we don’t support a permanent ceasefire and our government continues to dehumanize Palestinians,” she said at the press conference[...]

“The United States is not simply a witness to this genocide. It's an actor in this genocide,” says Mamdani[...]

President Joe Biden is pushing to supply Israel with an additional $14 billion in military aid. The U.S. has dismissed the assertion that Israel is committing genocide. Several genocide experts, as well as three dozen U.N. experts, have argued that there is a serious risk of genocide.

27 Nov 23

[postoctobrist]

Oh god what is zohran mamdani's font is he secretly a canal boat?

lmfao

[wormsocialism]

CEASEFIRE NOW.

“The working person's struggle in this country is the working person's struggle in Palestine.” —Zohran K Mamdani

Coming off their historic strike, the UAW has joined the call for a cease-fire. It’s a major sea change for the labor movement—and the fight for peace and justice in Palestine and Israel.

[mithliya]

How are you going to blame Israelis for being paranoid when they underwent a genocide that killed off two thirds of their population barely eighty years back and are surrounded by countries that waged a war to wipe out Israel hardly fifty years back? Also Hamas has professed the same ideas about killing off the Jewish population as the Nazis and yet majority of the Palestinians support them. Do you think if Israel disarms itself and withdraws, Hamas will disband and there will be peace? What is Israel even supposed to do with such an enemy next door that shelters itself in civilian areas? Sit back instead of risking striking civilian populations and let Hamas arm itself and launch attacks? All these people sitting in comfort in Washington and London have never lived under the shadow of regular terror attacks and rockets falling on them yet they feel comfortable virtue signalling about wiping out Israel.

??? ISRAELIs faced that genocide? so are all jewish people israelis now or what? and “being paranoid”… i mean thats a nice way of putting “supporting genocide” & using the holocaust which has affected jewish ppl overall not israelis specifically (& occurred before israel existed) to defend supporting genocide and wanting even worse mass-killings of palestinian civilians is vile! meanwhile a huge portion of holocaust survivours and their descendants live in poverty in israel:

meanwhile many jewish ppl who either survived the holocaust or descended from holocaust survivours are speaking vocally against israel’s terrorism on innocent civilians:

“what is israel supposed to do with such an enemy next door?🥺”

well, for one, israel’s government could’ve perhaps not funded hamas or not helped hamas get into power. but i dont think feeling threatened after the monster u supported attacks justifies killing tens of thousands of innocent civilians in less than 2 months, idk i tend to consistently oppose genocide but it seems like thats something ur incapable of. do u think if palestinians exist several decades from now, that israel’s actions today would justify them committing a genocide in the future? bc if u want to be logically consistent, thats the natural conclusion of ur disgusting genocide supporting stance ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

[theivorybilledwoodpecker]

More than a dozen state lawmakers and activists in the U.S.—including actor Cynthia Nixon—have started a hunger strike calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The five state lawmakers taking part in the hunger strike beginning Monday are Delaware State Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton, New York Rep. Zohran Mamdani, Oklahoma Rep. Mauree Turner, Virginia Rep. Sam Rasoul, and Michigan Rep. Abraham Aiyash. They are joined by Nixon and various faith and community leaders. Mamdani and Wilson-Anton are among the half dozen participants committed to avoiding food for five days. The rest will fast for less than five days. When Wilson-Anton—the Delaware lawmaker—received a call from Mamdani in New York asking if she would consider taking part in a hunger strike, she started crying. She had already been active on social media and participated in protests, but she says she still felt helpless. “I wanted to do something else but I just didn’t know what,” she says. She hopes the hunger strike will “bring attention to the fact that the U.S. government, our President, and our congressional leaders are funding this policy of starvation.”

[khalidistan]

foreign shit, with the timberlands, no prada.

cyril week 2020 with my congress au! he's the field director for claude's congressional campaign, and he's from queens, ny. they're running in ny-14 if you're curious DJDJSKDJ.

the logo on the shirt he's wearing is by zohran mamdani, ny state assemblymember for district 36. he is the first south asian elected to this governing body, and his organizing inspires my work and specifically this piece. my other (constant) inspiration for this illustration is anik khan, a bangladeshi musician from queens. if you know me from other platforms you already know I'm in love w him LGLSGSJK

anyways zohran saw my illustration when I first posted it on twitter so I win

[xtruss]

Statue of Liberty Shut Down by Protesters Calling for Gaza Cease-fire

— By Noah Hurowitz | New York Magazine | November 6, 2023

Jewish Voice for Peace protesters gather at the Statue of Liberty on Monday, November 6. Photo: Stephanie Keith

Hundreds of activists staged a sit-in at the Statue of Liberty on Monday afternoon, demanding an immediate end to the Israel-Hamas war.

Dressed uniformly in black, the protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace gathered on the pedestal shortly before 1 p.m. when they dropped massive banners with calls for a cease-fire and other slogans, such as “The Whole World Is Watching” and “Never Again for Anyone.” The group sang “Cease-fire now” and occupied the national monument for about 20 minutes before dispersing. The protest, which the group said included more than 500 people, continued on a ferry headed back to Manhattan.

“We came to the Statue of Liberty today because we are inspired by the words of our Jewish ancestor, Emma Lazarus, that are etched into the monument,” said Jay Saper, an JVP organizer. “Those words compel us to take action to support the Palestinians of Gaza yearning to be free. And we will continue to take action until we bring about a cease-fire and until Palestinians are free.”

U.S. Park Police officers speak to a Jewish Voice for Peace organizer. Photo: Noah Hurowitz

Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani said he joined the protest as a “New Yorker of conscious.”

“This is one of the greatest symbols of New York City and our supposed commitments to universal values of liberty and freedom and respite,” he said. “And yet what we’ve seen is our country allowing for a genocide to take place.”

Mamdani, a socialist representing Queens, has protested across the city over the past month and was arrested alongside a colleague during a similar demonstration outside the Brooklyn home of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“How many children have to be killed until we can finally see a position of cease-fire from our White House and federally elected officials?”

Activists with Jewish Voice for Peace rallied in front of the Statue of Liberty on Monday to call for a cease-fire in Gaza. Credit: Dave Sanders for The New York Times

The Statue of Liberty protest is the latest high-profile action by the Jewish-led group that has long organized against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. On October 27, they led thousands to occupy Grand Central Terminal during the Friday rush hour, bringing the transit hub to a standstill.

Monday’s action was planned in secret with the mostly young activists blending in with sightseers as they made their way patiently through security in time to board the 11 a.m. ferry from lower Manhattan to Liberty Island. They quickly scarfed down breakfast sandwiches and chatted among themselves with a happy, nervous excitement. “This is the most touristy thing I’ve ever done,” one young man said to a friend as he disembarked, clutching a green foam Lady Liberty crown in his hands. On the island, more small groups convened, taking last-minute trips to the bathroom and taking headcount.

Activists from Jewish Voice for Peace return to the ferry after occupying the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Photograph: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

With attention-grabbing acts of civil disobedience, Jewish Voice for Peace has taken center stage in protest efforts to pressure the U.S. to stop Israel’s military campaign against Hamas since the militant group massacred more than 1,400 people in Israel on October 7. Since then, more than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza, a majority of them women and children, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. Israel’s self-described siege of the enclave has cut off approximately 2.3 million Palestinians from supplies of water, fuel, and food. Jewish Voice for Peace describes the ongoing campaign as “unfolding genocide.”

The group said it is trying to intensify pressure on the Biden administration to curb Israel’s war. “We are outraged that over 10,000 Palestinians to date have been killed, over 4,000 children, with U.S. funding, with U.S. bombs, and with U.S. protection from international accountability,” said Elena Stein, the director of organizing strategy.

So far, the Biden administration has pressed Israel for a “pause” to allow greater humanitarian relief to enter Gaza and to buy more time for negotiations to secure the release of 240 hostages held by Hamas. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed the request over the weekend as ground troops pressed deeper into Gaza.

As the death toll in Gaza has skyrocketed, New York City in particular has become a crucible for both sides of the fight with numerous protests across the five boroughs by pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli activists, as well as bitter exchanges on college campuses and in Times Square.

Protests at the Statue of Liberty are relatively rare given the high security at the site, but the monument has drawn dissenters since its unveiling in 1886, beginning with women’s suffragists. The statue continued to draw small groups of protesters, including a three-day occupation by antiwar Vietnam vets in 1971 and a sit-in at the statue’s crown in 1979 by 40 Muslim students against the shah of Iran. (A year later, Croatian nationalists set off a bomb after hours in a museum.) The most recent protest until now was on July 4, 2018, when an activist scaled the base of the monument to protest the Trump administration’s family-separation policies at the border. Eight people were arrested after a four-hour standoff and the evacuation of thousands of tourists.

When asked if the protest took them by surprise, one U.S. Park Police officer said with a chuckle, “To put it mildly, yes.”

[thekeypa]

“Every year, charities registered in New York State send $60m+ in tax-deductible donations to aid & abet Israeli settler violence. Today, we’re launching legislation to ban that.”

[trendynewsnow]

Zohran Mamdani Announces Candidacy for New York City Mayor Amid Adams' Controversy

Zohran Mamdani Enters Race to Challenge Mayor Eric Adams Zohran Mamdani, a progressive and outspoken member of the New York State Assembly representing Queens, is set to announce his candidacy for the mayoral race on Wednesday. This decision comes amid growing concerns regarding the political future of Mayor Eric Adams, who is currently grappling with mounting scrutiny following his indictment…

[feckcops]

Socialists want to crack down on Israeli war crimes

“In a sensible world, the principles set out in ‘Not on Our Dime,’ a New York State Assembly bill, introduced by socialist assembly member Zohran Kwame Mamdani and cosponsored by fellow socialist assembly members Sarahana Shrestha, Phara Souffrant Forrest, and Marcela Mitaynes, would be anodyne and barely need saying. The legislation prohibits nonprofit organizations from supporting the illegal activities of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, including violence by Israelis against Palestinians, forced eviction of Palestinians from the area, and destruction or expropriation of Palestinian homes or lands ...

“The New York nonprofits targeted by the bill includes the Central Fund of Israel, the largest US-based nonprofit engaged in funneling money to help settlers violently displace Palestinians. Mamdani’s bill, he says, aims to make sure that ‘New York State does not keep subsidizing war crimes.’

“The Israeli settlement activities supported by these New York ‘charities’ not only violate the Geneva Convention but also US policy, which has been to condemn Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. (The State Department determined their illegality in 1978, though many in the US government have been more circumspect.) Condemnation of a crime, however, rings hollow if we’re allowing our own money to subsidize that crime ...

“Legally, Shamas says, it’s ‘uncontroversial,’ explaining, ‘It’s already illegal to aid and abet war crimes, but it’s important to name when New York money is complicit, that this issue matters and that these lives matter.’ The bill also provides a remedy and a process for victims to collect damages from these charities.”

[islamicworldtoday]

Why I Support Zohran Mamdani to Be the Next Mayor of New York City

Imam Shamsi Ali*

There is no doubt that New York City, with all its problems and issues at the moment, is still one of the greatest and most desirable cities for people to visit and/or stay. It is possibly the most vibrant city, unbelievably diverse not only in its population but also in its cultures and traditions, religions, and even the way its inhabitants express themselves.

New York City is home to Wall Street, the center of the world economy. It is also home to the United Nations, the world and all nations' organization. In addition, with its Times Square, New York City is known as the city that never sleeps. This city became even more popular after the tragic event called the 9/11 terror attack that brought down the symbol of world capitalism known as the WTC (World Trade Center).

I am blessed to be one of its inhabitants, called New Yorkers. To be honest, my lifestyle has been deeply attached to the city, to an extent that any time I leave the city for somewhere else, even within the US, I feel lonely. I miss the crowds of its traffic, the sound of ambulances, and the view of skyscraping buildings in the city. And certainly, I would miss my community, the Muslim community, that’s been growing and continues to grow in this world capital.

*City of Immigrants*

The US is known to be a nation of immigrants. With the exception of Native Americans, all those in America—be they from Asia, Latin and South America, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern, or even Western Europe—are all immigrants or children and grandchildren of immigrants. And none, including the president of the country, should feel more American than others. They are equal. This is the status that the Constitution of this country begins with: *We the people.*

More especially, New York City is known not only as the city of immigrants. In fact, it is in this city where the immigrants who came particularly from Europe entered. Up until today, an island is preserved to remember this fact. This island has even become a tourist destination and is neighboring the Lady Liberty, a symbol of freedom for Americans. To recognize this historical fact, every year Americans select 100 immigrants or children of immigrants to receive the highest non-military award called the “Ellis Island Honor Award.” I am blessed and honored to be one of these recipients.

With this in mind, I am more than certain that New York City will embrace all its inhabitants fully to achieve their dreams. From time to time, I can see clearly that New York City has become more open and inclusive to all. Anybody in New York can be anyone he or she dreams of being, including immigrants and Muslims who aspire to be the mayor of this city. That’s possible and guaranteed by the Constitution and the values that this country and this city uphold highly.

**Zohran Mamdani: The Next NYC Mayor**

I met Zohran Mamdani for the first time when he came to join our Eid prayer some years ago. He came at the time as a member of the New York State Assembly to address New Yorkers—a political tradition that happens every year for politicians to be closer and more attached to their constituents.

Zohran Mamdani, to me, is different. He came and joined our prayers not only as a politician but as a member of our community. And I mean it in every sense of the word. He is faithful to his faith, fully committed to its teachings, and never shy to tell all that he is a Muslim. He is proud to be known as a Muslim, even in times when the image of Islam is portrayed as evil and dangerous.

But what is more unique and inspiring about Zohran Mamdani is his commitment to the cause of all marginalized and oppressed, both domestically and globally. He defended the rights of taxi drivers some years ago and succeeded. This brought him to be elected as a member of the New York State Assembly representing Astoria, Queens.

Beyond that, in a time when very few politicians were willing to stand for what is right—not to favor Palestinians, but simply to call for a ceasefire in Palestine to stop further massacres and genocide in Gaza—Zohran Mamdani was among the very, very few who stood tall to fight for peace and call for a ceasefire. In doing so, he doesn’t change depending on whether he is speaking to Muslims and Arabs or to non-Muslims and even those who tend to side with Israeli Zionists.

This, for me, is a clear sign that Zohran Mamdani is a different kind of politician. I may call him a non-conventional politician, just as I have been called a non-conventional Imam in New York City. Because he is courageous enough to say and do what his heart and mind command him to. This is unique, as many other politicians tend to deny and lie to their own hearts and minds.

*Conclusion*

In conclusion, New York City, the US, and the world need such unconventional politicians—politicians who advance their hearts and minds, not their narrow interests by serving the interests of those who own the capital. And New York City deserves that more than ever!

With that in mind, I hereby declare my support and will do everything possible to bring him to the City Hall of the Great New York City… InshaAllah!

Manhattan, November 20, 2024

*An Immigrant Muslim New Yorker