New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) is facing online scrutiny after hosting a Ramadan iftar at City Hall. Critics worry this event signals a shift in American cultural norms.
A video of the gathering went viral following a post by a purported attendee who tagged City Hall and described the event as an iftar, the evening meal during Ramadan when Muslims break their fast. The video shows Muslim attendees performing prayers, chanting “Allahu Akbar,” and sharing meals while seated on prayer rugs beneath the U.S. and city flags.
The timing intensified criticism. Just days earlier, 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi allegedly attempted to detonate explosives in an ISIS-inspired terror attack outside the mayor’s residence.
Jeremy Carl, a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of the interior, stated: “The Great Replacement is happening in front of your eyes.”
Author Oli London posted: “New York has fallen.” Political commentator Jason Jones added: “I can’t believe this is happening in the same city as 9/11. They didn’t even have to fire a single shot.”
The citizen-journalism account Autism Capital also posted: “Genuinely speechless. Stun locked. We’ve come a long way from 9/11.”
Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor, has not publicly responded to the criticism. His office did not respond to requests for comment.
