Overview
- Zohran Mamdani won New York’s mayoral race on November 4, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor-elect at age 34.
- Fact-checkers and analysts from MEMRI, InfoEpi Lab, and independent researchers including Aaron Zelin and Meili Criezis found no trace of the purported communiqué on ISIS channels and identified clear format, language, and distribution inconsistencies.
- The forged text—titled “Operation Manhattan Project,” referencing “11/4” and “109 brothers,” and displaying an Amaq logo on a black background—was circulated widely on X and Facebook but does not match Amaq’s Arabic-language style or layout.
- Researchers say the post appears to have originated on 4chan and was amplified by anti-Mamdani accounts, including Laura Loomer and Texas Senate hopeful Alexander Duncan, fueling hostile rhetoric toward Mamdani and Muslim communities.
- Experts note the claim is ideologically implausible because ISIS rejects democratic elections and targets Shia Muslims, and separate coverage reports that Mamdani drew broad support across voter groups, including a notable share of Jewish voters according to cited outlets.