Zohran Mamdani’s Anti-Gay Connections Keep Growing — and New Yorkers Should Notice
Ian Fleming wrote, “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.” That line fits the concern some New Yorkers are voicing about Zohran Mamdani after a string of unsettling associations. The pattern now includes two prominent figures who have expressed hostile views toward gay people.
Two weeks ago it came out that Mamdani has ties to Rebecca Kadaga, the Ugandan politician who backed legislation proposing life imprisonment for gay people. Mamdani said he did not know Kadaga, but reporting later connected her to his family, who reportedly own a large compound in Uganda. Those revelations raised questions about his judgment and his circle of influence.
Now we’re learning Mamdani’s imam pal, Siraj Wahhaj, is also anti-gay.
Zohran Mamdani’s imam pal Siraj Wahhaj has a history of vile homophobic comments — and he’s only the latest person with similar beliefs the young mayoral candidate has been spending time with.
Wahhaj, a prominent 75-year-old Brooklyn imam, once called on followers to intimidate the LGBT community into becoming straight and joining Islam — and invoked violent rhetoric about murdering gay people while doing it.
“This is a disease of this society,” Wahhaj said in a sermon first revealed in 2017, advising followers to “defend against these homosexuals.”
Wahhaj has also declared, “No matter how much the American government and the Canadian government legislated in their law that it is acceptable, it will never be acceptable by the Muslims.” That quote is worth noting because Mamdani has been photographed smiling and standing shoulder to shoulder with the imam. Photos and public appearances like that create impressions that matter in a city that values pluralism and safety.
On top of the rhetoric, Wahhaj reportedly told followers bluntly what he claimed was the punishment for same-sex relations. “And you know brothers and sisters, you know what the punishment is if a man is found with another man? The Prophet Mohammad said the one who does it and the one whom it is done to, kill them both.” Those words are extreme and make the association politically toxic for anyone courting broad support.
Social media has reacted sharply as the mayoral race tightens and Mamdani looks competitive. “What do the polls for the NYC gay community say?” asked one X user, and observers point out that, “According to a June poll published by Empire Report, the LGBTQ community is evenly split between Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo.” That split reflects how this issue could swing undecided blocs.
Another X user wrote, “Once the woke left finally realizes Muslims are not their friends, it will be too late.” That line captures frustration among some on the right who see misplaced alliances across the progressive coalition. For Republican observers, the story is another reminder that questions about character and associations matter in municipal governance.
These links — to an official who pushed life sentences for gay citizens and to an imam who has used violent language about homosexuality — are not abstract. They feed a larger debate about judgment, alliances, and values that voters will factor into their decisions. New Yorkers deserve clarity on what these relationships mean for policy and safety in the city they run.
