Zohran Mamdani’s Terrorist Ties Disqualify Him To Be Mayor Of New York City (Part 1 of 2)

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, Zohran Mamdani is not among them. He belongs on a terror watchlist and not in a mayoral race.

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?
 
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:
 
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.

Conclusion
Mamdani’s victory over Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary was fueled by radical far-left grassroots support and endorsements from figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It demonstrates his appeal to a radicalized, economically illiterate, and unhinged electorate. Mamdani’s religious adherence to the Shi’a Twelver sect, his blatant support for jihadism, his antisemitism, and his ambitious socialist agenda all raise legitimate concerns about his suitability to lead New York City. Voters must decide whether Mamdani’s allegiance is to the U.S. Constitution or the head of his sect in Tehran. He is a symptom of vast pro-Islamist policies in NYC that need to be reevaluated.

Mamdani is a national security threat. He should be investigated for his brash support for jihadism and his dangerous affiliations. He belongs on a terror watchlist, not in a mayoral race in the city where ideas like his flew into its buildings on September 11, 2001. Mamdani is the final stage of decades of metastatic complicity, infiltration, corruption, and criminally negligent policies of NYC bureaucrats and politicians.

Tomorrow: Part 2 of Zohran Mamdani’s Terrorist Ties Disqualify Him To Be Mayor Of New York City

Cynthia Farahat is the bestselling author of The Secret Apparatus: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Industry of Death. This article originally appeared on American Greatness as “The Shadow of Terror: Zohran Mamdani’s Radical Islam Problem” and is reposted here with the kind permission of the author and the editors of American Greatness.
 

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