Shock Photo Of NYC Mayoral Candidate Mamdani Surfaces

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a left-leaning socialist and prominent Democrat, drew controversy this week after appearing alongside Brooklyn imam Siraj Wahhaj, a cleric long associated with extremist rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ statements.

Mamdani was photographed smiling with Wahhaj at the imam’s Bedford-Stuyvesant mosque, posting the image to X a day after the first mayoral debate. City Councilman Yusef Salaam, a member of the exonerated “Central Park Five,” also appeared in the photo.

“Today at Masjid At-Taqwa, I had the pleasure of meeting Imam Siraj Wahhaj, one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders,” Mamdani wrote, praising the event as a “beautiful Jummah.”

Wahhaj, 75, was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six people. He has defended those convicted in the attack, accusing U.S. intelligence agencies of being the “real terrorists,” though he has denied any personal involvement in violence.

During court proceedings, Wahhaj testified in support of the “blind sheikh” Omar Abdel Rahman, calling him a respected scholar. In past sermons, he urged followers to form a 10,000-man “army” to wage a nonviolent “jihad” through demonstrations in New York City.

A foreign intelligence report cited by the New York Post claimed that Mamdani’s political rise has been bolstered by alliances with individuals linked to extremism, posing potential security risks.

Wahhaj has also described homosexuality as a “disease” and cited religious punishments for same-sex acts. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa condemned Mamdani’s association with Wahhaj, calling it “disqualifying.”