Zohran Mamdani Faces Imam Siraj Wahhaj Meeting Backlash

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Report reveals Mamdani smiling arm-in-arm with Wahhaj—an Islamist figure allegedly linked to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

TRH Global Affairs Desk

New Delhi, October 19, 2025 — A report in New York Post reveals that left-wing New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani was seen campaigning this week alongside controversial imam Siraj Wahhaj—raising alarm among his opponents and sparking scrutiny of his alliances.

According to the Post, Mamdani “gleefully campaigned” at Wahhaj’s Brooklyn mosque, standing arm-in-arm with the cleric and Councilman Yusef Salaam in a photo posted to X the day after the city’s first mayoral debate.

Wahhaj, age 75, is the longtime head of the Masjid At-Taqwa mosque in Bedford-Stuyvesant and leader of the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA). He was identified by prosecutors as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

While he has denied terrorist links, Wahhaj’s past statements—including calls for an “army of 10,000” to execute a “gun-free jihad” march through New York City, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric—have placed him under scrutiny by intelligence- and counter-terrorism observers.

In his campaign post, Mamdani wrote: “Today at Masjid At-Taqwa, I had the pleasure of meeting with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community for nearly half a century.” Critics seized on the photo and wording as evidence of troubling ties to extremist-linked figures.

“The fact that Mamdani stands with this imam is disqualifying,” said Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa, arguing that New York needs a mayor “who protects New Yorkers from terrorism, not embraces terrorists.”

Background on Siraj Wahhaj

Wahhaj was born Jeffrey Kearse in 1950 in Brooklyn. He converted to Islam and went on to lead Masjid At-Taqwa from 1981. Wahhaj was involved in local community efforts such as anti-drug patrols in his neighbourhood, but has also been linked by law-enforcement materials to individuals involved in the 1993 WTC bombing. Although never indicted, his name appeared in lists of “potential conspirators.”
In a 2000s sermon, he reportedly stated: “I pray one day Allah will bless us to raise an army … and I’m serious about this. … Just march. March through the city of New York.”
He has also made anti-LGBTQ statements—calling homosexuality “a disease of this society” and quoting a hadith to say “the Prophet Mohammad said … kill them both,” in relation to men found with men.

NYC Mayoral Poll & Race Context

The timing of the photo and ensuing backlash come as Mamdani is considered a leading contender in the 2025 mayoral race. Several recent polls show he holds a significant edge:

A Suffolk University “CityView” poll found Mamdani leading former Governor Andrew Cuomo 45% to 25% among likely voters.
A HarrisX survey showed him at 26%, Cuomo at 23%, Republican Curtis Sliwa at 22%, and independent Mayor Eric Adams at 13%.
Simulations indicate Mamdani fares best when Cuomo is not in the race, but remains vulnerable in direct match-ups.

Mamdani’s rise has been stoked by a progressive platform emphasising affordability, rent control, free transit proposals, and a base of younger, left-leaning, and minority voters. Yet his camp is now under pressure as associations with controversial figures risk reshaping public perception of his candidacy.

Implications

The photo with Wahhaj raises multiple questions:

Can Mamdani maintain broad appeal given the national-security and reputational risks posed by such a high-profile association?
Will this controversy erode his support among moderate or swing voters, even as he leads in polls?
How will rival campaigns exploit the incident to question his judgment and alliances?
For a city facing heightened concerns around public safety and extremism, the optics may prove costly.

As the mayoral campaign moves deeper into the general-election phase, and as Mamdani appears to carry the Democratic nomination, this episode may become a defining moment—not only for his own political viability, but also for how voters in New York weigh ideological purity, coalition building and perceived ties to controversial figures.

Note: This article attributes all assertions to the New York Post report and publicly available poll data; no new allegations are made. The reader is encouraged to view the full context and primary sources before drawing conclusions.

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