Overview

• Zohran Mamdani posted a photo after meeting Imam Siraj Wahhaj at Masjid At‑Taqwa, drawing criticism over Wahhaj’s past designation by prosecutors as an unindicted co‑conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center case, for which he was never charged.
• Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa labeled the association unacceptable, while national figures weighed in, including President Donald Trump calling Mamdani “a disaster waiting to happen.”
• Mamdani later told reporters the imam has met previous mayors and argued the outcry reflects anti‑Muslim bias, after initially declining to answer questions about the encounter.
• Reporting notes Wahhaj’s history of incendiary remarks, including anti‑LGBTQ statements and calls for a “gun‑free jihad,” and that his son was convicted in 2018 in a terror‑related case.
• Despite the controversy, a recent Fox News poll shows Mamdani leading 52%–28%–14% over Cuomo and Sliwa, betting markets give him roughly a 93% chance to win, and the next debate is set for Oct. 22 with early voting starting Oct. 25; Cuomo is touting a separate survey that shows a tighter hypothetical head‑to‑head.