The Shadow Of Terror: Zohran Mamdani's Radical Islam Problem
Authored by Cynthia Farahat via American Greatness,
New York City’s 2025 mayoral race has thrust Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist and New York State Assembly member, into the spotlight as the Democratic nominee. His candidacy, while historic as potentially the first Muslim and Indian-American mayor, raises serious concerns due to his (1) adherence to the Shi’a Twelver sect, (2) support of Hamas jihadist terrorists and its parent group, the Muslim Brotherhood, (3) rabid antisemitism, and (4) devastating economic implications of his socialist policies. Mamdani’s candidacy is a natural result of decades of failed NYC policies toward Islamists and jihadists, which have almost turned the city into a Muslim Brotherhood sanctuary. Mamdani’s candidacy is a symptom of a larger Islamist problem in NYC.
While many American Muslims in New York City are patriotic and capable of great leadership, Mamdani’s religious and ideological stances demand scrutiny. Mamdani wants to rule New York City, but who rules Mamdani?
New York City is home to over half a million Muslims, many of whom contribute significantly to the city’s vibrant fabric. Numerous Muslim leaders possess the vision, integrity, and capability to serve as mayor, championing policies that align with American values and the U.S. Constitution; however, Mamdani is not among them. He belongs on a terror watchlist and not in a mayoral race.
1. Religious Affiliation and Allegiances
On July 14, 2025, The Conversation news website published an article about Mamdani. The article supported Mamdani’s mayoral candidacy and discussed his religious affiliation. While it is widely known that Mamdani is a Shi’a Muslim, the article states he specifically adheres to the Shia Twelver sect. This is also confirmed by Mamdani’s father. In 2013, Mahmood Mamdani was interviewed by Warscapes magazine, where he discussed his family’s origins, stating, “My family had come over 100 years ago from Gujarat, from Kathiawad.” The family belongs to the Khoja, a sect of Gujarati Shia Muslims.
According to the official Khoja Shi’a Twelver website, the Khoja community traces its origins to the Lohana community in Gujarat, India. In 1400 AD, Pir Sadruddin converted members of the Lohana community into Khojas, initiating their association with Shia Islam. The term “Khoja” is derived from the Persian word “Khawaja,” signifying a learned or respected individual. Initially, Khojas followed the Nizari Ismaili sect under the Aga Khan. However, in the late 19th century, a significant number of Khojas converted to the Twelver Shia Ithna Ashariyyah sect. This shift was influenced by religious leaders such as Sheikh Zainul Abedeen Mazendarani and Mulla Qadir Husein, who played pivotal roles in converting the Khojas to Twelver Shia beliefs and practices.
The Twelver sect is also known as Shi’a Imamate and Shi’a Ja’farites. It is the same sect adhered to by the mullahs in Tehran since the 1979 revolution. While most Muslims are peaceful, the Shi’a Twelvers cling to an extremist belief system that has subjugated millions of Muslims and non-Muslims across the world.
The Shi’a Twelver Sect, Wilayat Al-Faqih, and Why Mamdani’s Religious Affiliation is Problematic
The two major sects in Shi’ite Islam are the Ithna Ashariyyah (Twelvers) and Al-Isma’iliyya (Isma’ilis), or Seveners. The Twelvers believe in the authority of twelve imams, who were appointed by God to lead the Muslim nation after the death of Prophet Mohammed, and they continue to be represented by the Ayatollah (Imam).
The Isma’ilis believe in only seven imams. Both sects agree upon the first six imams, the last of whom was Ja’far as-Sadiq. The battle for succession between the two sects surrounds as-Sadiq’s sons. The Isma’ilis argued that the custodian of the religion should be as-Sadiq’s oldest son, Isma’il. The Twelvers believe his younger brother, Musa al-Kazim, was the legitimate imam, and his lineage continued until the twelfth imam, who disappeared in 873.
The Shi’a Twelver faith teaches the absolute belief in the infallibility of the Ayatollah as the sole religious authority. According to their faith, the Ayatollah is the only legitimate ruler, leader, and religious authority for every Twelver Muslim. The Ayatollah is often referred to as the Imam, hence the term “Imamate” in reference to the Twelvers.
What is Wilayat Al-Faqih?
Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which overthrew the Pahlavi monarchy and established the Islamic Republic of Iran under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s leadership, the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih, commonly translated as “Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist” but more accurately as “governance of the faqih,” was enshrined as the constitutional foundation for the Supreme Leader (Rahbar) system.
Khomeini used terms like “governance of the faqih” (vilayat-i faqih in Persian transliteration), “guardianship of the just faqih,” and “authority of the jurist” interchangeably. He provides rational, textual (Quranic/hadith-based), and historical proofs in his books.
His integration transformed the theological concept into a practical governance model, vesting ultimate authority in a qualified Shi’a jurist to lead the ummah (Muslim nation) during the occultation (ghaybah) of the Twelfth Imam, Imam Mahdi. The 1979 Constitution, drafted by the Assembly of Experts and approved via referendum, explicitly bases the political structure on this principle, ensuring the Supreme Leader’s supremacy over all branches of government while drawing legitimacy from Shi’a primary sources such as hadiths and narrations from the Imams.
According to prominent Shi’a scholar Shihab Al-Din Mujtahid, he quotes the foremost doctrinally authoritative scholar in Shi’a history, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq. Sadiq not only confirms the absolute authority of the ruling Imam, who is currently Ali Khamenei, but also states that challenging his absolute authority in any public or private matter constitutes shirk (polytheism), the greatest crime in Islamic thought, which is punishable by death. Mujtahid states:
Imam as-Sadiq (pbuh) said, “I have appointed him a hakim [ruler] over you. If such a person orders (judges) according to our ruling and the person concerned does not accept it, then he has shown contempt for the ruling of God and rejects us; and he who rejects us actually rejects Allah, and such a person is close to associating Shirk [polytheism] with Allah.”
In this tradition, Imam as-Sadiq (pbuh) addresses the role of a just faqih (hakim) [ruler] who has been entrusted with authority by the infallible Imam. According to this hadith, the people are not allowed to have recourse to an illegitimate or oppressive authority for the resolution of their problems. Instead, they are required to refer to the Wali (hakim) and obey his decisions, regardless of whether or not he is their marja’a taqleed [Grand Ayatollah].
This is Mamdani’s religious doctrine from its primary source. Unless Mamdani has apostatized from his Shi’a Twelver sect, which he has not, his sole religious and political authority is indeed Ali Khamenei, according to his own faith. Mamdani has never issued a statement nor shown that he contradicts this fundamental element of his faith. His various actions, affiliations, and statements indicate his alignment with this theology.
In his book, ‘Akaid al-Imamiyya (The Faith of the Imamate), world-renowned Shi’a scholar and authority Muhammad Rida al-Muzaffar states that the belief in the absolute authority of the Imam (Ayatollah) is a “fundamental pillar of the religion, and there cannot be faith without this belief.” He adds that the Ayatollah is ordained by God and is considered as holy and as infallible as a prophet.
This raises serious concerns regarding Mamdani’s ideology and whether this ideology translates into a closer proximity to the terror-sponsoring regime in Tehran. This needs to be investigated because, as mayor, he will have significant power to dictate and control a significant portion of NYC’s counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts.
The Use of Dissimulation and Deceit
In both Sunni and Shi’ite fundamentalist theologies, taqiyya (dissimulation) is a pragmatic juridical term that allows Muslims to lie and forge alliances with their rivals if doing so serves the long-term agenda of Muslim rulers or nations. In his book Hukumat-e Islami (Islamic Government), Ayatollah Khomeini wrote, “Taqiyya is my religion and the religion of my forefathers.” These elements are concerning aspects of Mamdani’s faith because they suggest his allegiance to the Ayatollah in Tehran rather than to the U.S. Constitution and Western laws, which are deemed infidel by the Twelver sect. The belief in utilizing dissimulation means no one knows when Mr. Mamdani is lying or telling the truth.
2. Mamdani’s Open Support for Terrorism and His Affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood
(2.1) Shi’as and the Muslim Brotherhood
While Westerners predominantly focus on the Sunni-Shi’a division, they often ignore that it is also a history of fourteen centuries of military and ideological cooperation between Islamists from both sects when it comes to warfare against their common enemies. Hence, the Twelver sect is recognized by Sunnis as a legitimate fifth school of Islamic jurisprudence. In April 1960, Muslim Brotherhood member Sheikh Mahmoud Shaltout (1893–1963), Grand Imam of al-Azhar University in Cairo, issued a historic fatwa (religious edict) titled, “The permissibility of worship through Islamic sects, including the Shi’a Twelver Imamate denomination.” Shaltout and al-Azhar officially recognized the Ja’fari jurisprudence of Shi’a Twelvers as a fifth school of Islam. This provided both Sunni and Shi’a jihadists a religious framework to allow them to collaborate on every front. This legitimized militants from both sects to ally against their common enemies. Hence, the alliance between Shi’a Muslim militants and the Muslim Brotherhood from the group’s inception. This explains why many Brotherhood operatives and front groups in the U.S. support Mamdani.
The Sunni-Shia alliance project dates back to the founding of the Muslim Brotherhood and has culminated in a joint jihadist project based in Tehran called “The World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought.” According to its official website, the agency aims to “explicate resistance groups and movements which counter Western and American dominance and Zionist occupation,” declaring the Republic of Iran “as the leader of revolution in the Islamic world.” The proximity project leaders in Tehran are playing a significant role in networking terrorists worldwide.
(2.2) Mamdani, CAIR, and ICNA
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) super PAC, Unity and Justice Fund, reportedly funded Mamdani in his effort to become New York City mayor to the tune of $100,000, according to The Washington Free Beacon report, citing campaign records. CAIR is a Muslim Brotherhood front group and was designated as a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates in November 2014. In 2008, during the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing trial, prosecutors listed CAIR as an unindicted co-conspirator, identifying it as a front for the Muslim Brotherhood alongside other groups like the Islamic Society of North America (ICNA).
Mamdani’s campaign also received funds from the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), another group closely tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. According to the New York Post, five staffers of ICNA gave $1,300 in individual contributions to Mamdani’s campaign. ICNA is a designated terrorist group in India and Russia.
(2.3) Mamdani and the Muslim Brotherhood Imam Muhammad Al-Barr
Mamdani doesn’t attempt to hide his extremism. In July, the New York Post reported that Mamdani visited a radical Brooklyn mosque—just months after the imam called for the annihilation of Israel. Mamdani posted a picture of himself speaking at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge, alongside radical cleric Sheikh Muhammad Al-Barr, aka Mohamed Elbar, on his social media in January. The picture shows Mamdani sharing the podium with Barr. The article adds that Mamdani posted, “It was a privilege to join Jummah prayers at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge today,” in the post on X dated January 17. Mamdani’s visit occurred five months after Barr called for the “annihilation” of Jews and stated that Hamas terrorists “mujahideen in Gaza are achieving more than our Arab armies could in 1967 and 1973,” referencing the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War.
Barr, however, is far more dangerous than just being an extremist imam. He is a renowned Muslim Brotherhood leader. He holds a prominent position as a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, the Brotherhood’s international body of senior theologians, and a designated terror group in the UAE. Barr has a record of spouting terroristic rhetoric. For example, in November 2016, during an event organized by a NYC-based Brotherhood group called Egyptian Americans for Freedom and Justice (EAFAJ), Barr declared that the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi “ought to be beheaded.”
Barr comes from a prominent Muslim Brotherhood family. His brother, Abdul Rahman Al-Barr, was a high-ranking and brutal leader in the Muslim Brotherhood and a member of the Guidance Bureau, which is the group’s public governing body. Abdul Rahman was incarcerated in Egypt in 2015 and is currently on death row for several terror-related crimes and assassinations. Muhammad Al-Barr frequently praises his terrorist brother on social media.
Rahman’s brutality earned him the moniker Mufti ad-dam (The Blood Mufti) for his habit of issuing assassination fatwas (religious edicts), which resulted in several deaths, including the assassination of Egypt’s top prosecutor Hisham Barakat in 2015 via a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. The attack was perpetrated by a Muslim Brotherhood terror cell called Ligan el-Amaliat al-Mutaqadima, the Progressive Operations Committee (POC), also sometimes referred to as Special Operations Committees (SOC). Shockingly, one of the leaders of this cell is also a Mamdani supporter.
(2.4) Mamdani is endorsed by a NYC-based Muslim Brotherhood Jihadist.
New York City-based Ahmed Abdel-Basit Mohamed, aka Basit, is an Egyptian convicted terrorist who was implicated in the assassination of Hisham Barakat through his role in the leadership of the youth wing of the POC terror cell. Basit endorsed Zohran Mamdani on June 24 on his official Facebook account.
In 2016, an Egyptian court sentenced Basit to death in absentia for his and seven others’ roles in several terrorist attacks. His conviction was part of one of the largest Muslim Brotherhood terrorism