Overview

• Zohran Mamdani, 33, secured a decisive lead in the June 26 Democratic primary, positioning himself to become New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
• Edited images of the Statue of Liberty draped in a burqa circulated on X among MAGA supporters, including American politician Marjorie Taylor Greene and user Don Keith.
• Social media posts also featured photos of Mamdani in a kurta pajama captioned “Never Forget,” invoking the 2001 al-Qaeda attacks.
• During his tenure in the state assembly, Mamdani has repeatedly criticized President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while voicing solidarity with Palestinians.
• The use of the Statue of Liberty—which was originally envisioned as a Muslim woman—adds an ironic layer to the digital attacks.