Zohran Mamdani says aunt felt unsafe in hijab after 9/11; JD Vance responds

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani recalled the fears faced by Muslim New Yorkers after the 9/11 attacks during a campaign event outside a Bronx mosque. He said his aunt stopped taking the subway after the attacks because she “did not feel safe in her hijab.”Mamdani said he had also been advised to hide his faith when he entered politics. “These are lessons that so many Muslim New Yorkers have been taught,” he said, describing years of subtle discrimination.

According to Zohran the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks https://t.co/UGeKANSAH2

— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 25, 2025

His comments came amid a tense mayoral race against Republican Curtis Sliwa and Independent Andrew Cuomo. Both opponents, along with outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, have made remarks criticised as Islamophobic.
Cuomo was heard laughing on a conservative radio show after the host suggested Mamdani would “be cheering” another 9/11 attack. A spokesperson later denied that Cuomo agreed with the comment.Adams said, “New York can’t be Europe… because of Islamic extremism,” while Sliwa accused Mamdani of backing “global jihad.”

In response to Mamdani’s story, U.S. Vice President JD Vance wrote online that, according to Mamdani, the “real victim” of 9/11 was his aunt, who only received “some bad looks.”

Mamdani said his goal was to highlight the everyday indignities faced by Muslim New Yorkers. He told supporters that while he once tried to downplay his faith to avoid prejudice, he now intends to embrace it openly.

“I will not change who I am, how I eat, for the faith that I’m proud to call my own,” he said. “I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light.”

Mamdani added that Muslims in the city want equal treatment, not special recognition. “For too long we have been told to ask for less and to be satisfied with whatever little we receive. No more,” he said.