Sadiq Khan in Time Magazine:
A couple of weeks before his election victory, Zohran Mamdani stood in front of a mosque in the Bronx. There, he gave the most personal speech of his campaign—a speech which sounded like it had been months, perhaps years, in the making. Just days before, a New York radio host had suggested Zohran would be “cheering” if another 9/11 happened on his watch. It was the high-water mark of a rising tide of anti-Muslim hatred that Mamdani had faced since the moment he declared his candidacy last year.
Zohran’s response was defiant. He spoke about his pride in his faith. He talked about the climate of fear which, like many Muslim New Yorkers, he had faced for much of his life. And he recalled the advice of a community elder who had suggested that if he wanted to make it in politics, he’d be better off keeping his religion to himself. The speech took courage. Zohran could have chosen to stay quiet and spend the final fortnight of the campaign focused on his core messages, ignoring his critics’ attempts to lower the tone and use his faith to other him. Sometimes, though, we must stand up and say enough is enough.
More here.
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