5 hours ago
4
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.
Zohran Mamdani’s opponents, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, denied accusations that they are stoking Islamophobia with their rhetoric and actions.
Oct. 24, 2025Updated 8:14 p.m. ET
In the waning days of the New York City mayor’s race, Zohran Mamdani, the front-runner, has faced attacks that he and other Democrats characterize as an Islamophobic-driven effort to paint him as a foreigner and threat to New Yorkers.
Mr. Mamdani, in an emotional 10-minute address on Friday, condemned the attacks, emphasizing his Muslim faith and demanding an end to the divisiveness.
“For as long as we have lived, we have known that no matter what anyone says, there are still certain forms of hate that are acceptable in the city,” he said while standing outside a mosque in the Bronx. “Islamophobia is not seen as inexcusable.”
Mr. Mamdani said the onslaught of faith- or ethnicity- based attacks from his opponents had intensified, especially from his closest rival, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who is running as an independent.
During an interview with the conservative radio host Sid Rosenberg on Thursday, Mr. Cuomo chuckled when Mr. Rosenberg said Mr. Mamdani would “be cheering” if there were another Sept. 11-style terrorist attack on New York City.
“That’s another problem,” Mr. Cuomo replied.
The interview came a day after Mr. Cuomo’s campaign released and then quickly deleted an A.I.-generated video that depicted Mr. Mamdani eating rice with his hands, a common practice in the South Asian community that is often used as an insult by the right.
