Zohran Mamdani, a frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race, has found himself at the centre of a political controversy following his remarks about a relative’s fear of wearing a hijab on the subway after the 9/11 attacks. His comments, initially presented as a personal story about his aunt, triggered intense backlash online and from the families of 9/11 victims, prompting the 34-year-old politician to issue a clarification.
During a recent press conference, Mamdani explained that the woman he referred to was not his direct aunt but rather one of his father’s cousins, named Zehra. “I was speaking about Zehra fuhi, my father’s cousin who passed away a few years ago,” he said, adding that “fuhi,” meaning paternal aunt in Urdu and Hindi, was a term of affection. His campaign, however, did not disclose Zehra’s full name.
The controversy began when Mamdani, in an emotional public address, spoke about the climate of fear faced by Muslim New Yorkers in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. “My aunt stopped riding the subway after September 11 because she didn’t feel safe being seen in a headscarf,” he said, highlighting the discrimination Muslims endured during that period.
Soon after, social media users began fact-checking his statement. Several posts claimed that Mamdani’s only known aunt, Masuma Mamdani, lived in Tanzania at the time of the attacks and did not wear a hijab. Photos of her circulated widely, leading to accusations that Mamdani had fabricated the story for political gain. Critics labelled his remarks as “manipulative” and “Islamophobia politicking,” accusing him of exploiting tragedy for sympathy.
The backlash intensified as families of 9/11 victims condemned the remarks as “insensitive and disrespectful.” Terry Strada, whose husband perished in the North Tower, told the Daily Mail that Mamdani’s comments were “insulting” to those who suffered profound loss. “To compare an aunt being uncomfortable on the subway to the pain of families who were murdered shows a lack of empathy,” she said.
The controversy drew political reactions as well. U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticised Mamdani on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “According to Zohran, the real victim of 9/11 was his aunt who got some bad looks.” Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa also attacked Mamdani, accusing him of sympathising with extremist ideologies.
In response, Mamdani reaffirmed his commitment to representing New York’s Muslim community, saying he would not allow political opponents to distort his message. The Queens Assemblyman has previously described attacks on him as “racist and baseless,” asserting that his faith and background should not be weaponised in political discourse.
As the mayoral race heats up, the episode has become a flashpoint in New York’s political and cultural debate, raising broader questions about identity politics, post-9/11 sensitivity, and the boundaries of personal storytelling in campaigns.
