Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: New York State officially recognized Muslim American Heritage Month for the first time in January 2026, with Governor Kathy Hochul directing state landmarks to be illuminated green in celebration of Muslim communities&rsquo; contributions. New York Governor Hochul announced statewide recognition of Muslim American Heritage Month, marking the first time January has been officially proclaimed for the observance across New York State. In a post on X on January 3, 2026, Hochul said, &ldquo;The resilience, compassion, and contributions of Muslim communities help make our state stronger. Tonight landmarks across the state are lit green as New York celebrates Muslim American Heritage Month.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007237810735198280&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=b7c3715df63b46b2e18cb457e1c44c887d4d1889&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2007237810735198280">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The New York City Mayor&rsquo;s Office also shared a statement on X on January 3, 2026, noting the historic nature of the recognition. &ldquo;Tonight is the first time New York State has officially recognized Muslim American Heritage Month, and we&#39;re grateful to @GovKathyHochul for this proclamation honoring the Muslim New Yorkers who help make this place what it is&mdash;from small business owners to first responders, teachers to community leaders,&rdquo; the post stated.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007252255100039459&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=b7c3715df63b46b2e18cb457e1c44c887d4d1889&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2007252255100039459"></iframe></div></div>It added that City Hall was glowing green alongside 16 state landmarks across New York. According to a statement published on New York State&rsquo;s website on January 2, 2026, Governor Hochul issued the first-ever proclamation declaring January as Muslim American Heritage Month statewide and directed 16 state landmarks to be illuminated green in observance of the month and in celebration of the heritage and culture of Muslim Americans. &ldquo;Home to the largest Muslim American population in the nation, New York is proud to join in this month-long celebration, recognizing the values, faith and traditions of our Muslim American communities,&rdquo; Hochul said in the statement.&nbsp; She added that New York remains committed to &ldquo;being a beacon of hope, tolerance, and inclusivity that celebrates the diversity of its Muslim American population and protects them from Islamophobia, hate, bias, and harm.&rdquo; The proclamation recognizes the contributions Muslim Americans have made throughout history in areas including the arts, sciences, mathematics, technology, literature, music, medicine, and philosophy, and encourages New Yorkers to better appreciate and understand Muslim American cultures, histories, and principles. Landmarks illuminated green include One World Trade Center, the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, the Kosciuszko Bridge, the Empire State Plaza, Grand Central Terminal&rsquo;s Pershing Square Viaduct, Moynihan Train Hall, the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse, and Niagara Falls, among others. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also commented on the announcement, saying, &ldquo;While I was proud to be sworn in as our city&rsquo;s first Muslim mayor yesterday, Muslims have been part of New York for centuries.&rdquo; He added that he was grateful for Hochul&rsquo;s leadership in recognizing the contributions of Muslim New Yorkers and ensuring they are reflected and recognized across the city and state.

Americas

New York State officially proclaims January as Muslim American Heritage Month in 2026, with Governor Kathy Hochul ordering 16 landmarks to glow green, honoring Muslim Americans’ history, culture, and contributions statewide.

New York proclaims Muslim American Heritage Month, illuminates landmarks green

NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani, the young entrant of the US left, was sworn in early Thursday to take over as New York mayor for a four-year term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump. After the clocks struck midnight, bringing in 2026, Mamdani took his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop to begin managing the United States&#39; largest city.&nbsp; He is New York&#39;s first Muslim mayor. In a first for the city, Mamdani is using several Quran copies to be sworn in as mayor: at his private swearing-in and later at a larger, ceremonial inauguration. Two copies of the Quran are from his family, and one belonged to Puerto Rico-born Black writer Arturo Schomburg, The New York Times reported.&nbsp; His office said the understated venue beneath City Hall reflected his commitment to working people, after the 34-year-old Democrat campaigned on promises to address the soaring cost of living. &#39;Privilege of a lifetime&#39;&quot;This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,&quot; Mamdani told reporters after taking his oath. But it remains to be seen whether Mamdani &mdash; virtually unknown a year ago &mdash; can deliver on his ambitious agenda, which envisions rent freezes, universal childcare, and free public buses. Once an election is over, &quot;symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more,&quot; New York University lecturer John Kane said. How Trump behaves could be a decisive factor. Cordial talks with Trump The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November. Lincoln Mitchell, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University, said the meeting &quot;couldn&#39;t have gone better from Mamdani&#39;s perspective.&quot; But he warned their relationship could quickly sour. One flashpoint might be immigration raids as Trump wages an expanding crackdown on migrants across the United States. Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities. Before the November vote, the president also threatened to slash federal funding for New York if it picked Mamdani, whom he called a &quot;communist lunatic.&quot; The mayor-elect has said he believes Trump is a fascist. Block party&nbsp; Mamdani&#39;s private swearing-in to start his four-year term was performed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud. A larger, ceremonial inauguration is scheduled later Thursday with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Around 4,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend the event outside City Hall. Mamdani&#39;s team has also organized a block party that it says will enable tens of thousands of people to watch the ceremony at streetside viewing areas along Broadway. Change of address The new job comes with a change of address, as he swaps his rent-controlled apartment in Queens for the luxurious mayor&#39;s residence in Manhattan. Some had wondered if he would move to the official mansion, given his campaigning on affordability issues. Mamdani said he is doing so mainly for security reasons. Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven and enjoyed an elite upbringing with only a relatively brief stint in politics, becoming a member of the New York State Assembly before being elected mayor. Seasoned aides Compensating for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with seasoned aides recruited from past mayoral administrations and former US president Joe Biden&#39;s government. Mamdani has also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have debunked those claims. As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership. Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed she had posted antisemitic tweets years ago.

New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani (C) is sworn in as New York Attorney General Letitia James (L) and Rama Duwaji look on at midnight on December 31, 2025, in New York as he immediately begins his term on January 1, 2026. New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamd

A larger, ceremonial inauguration is scheduled later Thursday with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; around 4,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend the event outside City Hall.

Mamdani sworn in as New York's first Muslim mayor

ISLAMABAD: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday claimed that the corruption cases against him were &ldquo;tearing the country apart,&rdquo; hours after he submitted a formal request for a pardon in the years-long proceedings.&nbsp;&ldquo;The continuation of the trial is tearing us apart from within, arousing fierce divisions, intensifying rifts,&rdquo; Netanyahu said in a video statement, insisting that &ldquo;an immediate end to the trial will greatly help to lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation that our country so desperately needs.&rdquo;&nbsp;Netanyahu&rsquo;s critics, however, say the embattled premier is attempting to shield himself from accountability after years of corruption allegations, including fraud, bribery, and breach of trust, rather than seeking national unity.&nbsp;The pardon request also lands at a moment of mounting international scrutiny.&nbsp;The United Nations has noted that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.&nbsp;&nbsp;The political reverberations have even reached the United States.&nbsp;During an interview with ABC News, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani stated that he would order Netanyahu&rsquo;s arrest if the Israeli leader attends the UN General Assembly in the city next year, citing the ICC warrants.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mamdani was unequivocal: &ldquo;New York enforces international law, and that means international law must be respected, including the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, regardless of whether they target Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, or anyone else.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;It does not matter if they are against Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;We are required to show our values.&rdquo;&nbsp;Netanyahu&rsquo;s effort to secure a pardon, while still in office and without a conviction, has drawn sharp criticism at home and abroad, with opponents arguing that the attempt undermines Israel&rsquo;s judiciary and deepens the political rifts the prime minister claims to lament

Middle East

Netanyahu seeks a pardon to halt corruption trial, while critics accuse him of avoiding accountability. ICC warrants add pressure, and NYC’s Zohran Mamdani says Netanyahu would face arrest if he visits the UN General Assembly.

Netanyahu seeks pardon as critics decry bid to evade accountability

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said he will host New York&#39;s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani for a meeting Friday, after fiercely attacking the 34-year-old self-described Democratic Socialist during his recent campaign. Trump said on his Truth Social platform the mayor-elect &quot;asked for a meeting&quot; and it &quot;will take place at the Oval Office on Friday, November 21st.&quot; Mamdani&#39;s spokesperson Dora Pekec confirmed the meeting in a statement. &quot;As is customary for an incoming mayoral administration, the Mayor-elect plans to meet with the President in Washington to discuss public safety, economic security and the affordability agenda that over one million New Yorkers voted for just two weeks ago,&quot; Pekec said Wednesday. Two men raised in Queens Trump&#39;s meeting with Mamdani marks the coming together of two men raised in the Queens borough of New York, but their similarities may end there. Anti-immigrant Trump has derided Mamdani&#39;s South Asian name, and threatened to cut federal funding for New York upon the Muslim&#39;s election to run America&#39;s largest city. &quot;Mandami, whatever the hell his name is,&quot; Trump said recently -- deliberately mispronouncing the Uganda-born politician&#39;s surname. &lsquo;Turn the volume up!&rsquo; Mamdani has not backed down from Trump, calling out the 79-year-old Republican during his victory rally earlier this month. &quot;Donald Trump, since I know you&#39;re watching, I have four words for you -- turn the volume up!&quot; he said to his cheering supporters. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed the president had indeed watched Mamdani speak.

Trump's meeting with Mamdani marks the coming together of two men raised in the Queens borough of New York, but their similarities may end there; Mamdani's spokesperson Dora Pekec confirmed the meeting in a statement.

Trump says will meet with New York mayor-elect Mamdani on Friday

Maham Khan

24 years ago, the twin towers fell in Lower Manhattan, reshaping not just the skyline but the lived reality of every Muslim in America. This January, Zohran Mamdani will be sworn in as New York City&#39;s 111th mayor&mdash;its first Muslim, first South Asian, and first African-born leader.&nbsp; The geographic irony is almost too perfect: a Muslim mayor taking office in the very city whose police department once mapped every mosque within 100 miles, where &quot;wearing traditional Islamic clothing&quot; was listed as a radicalization indicator, where informants infiltrated wedding parties and college rafting trips in the name of counterterrorism. The distance between those two moments&mdash;between surveillance subject and City Hall&mdash;tells a story not just of individual achievement but of collective survival, political awakening, and the hard-won transformation of a community that refused to disappear. Since at least 2002, the NYPD&#39;s Intelligence Division engaged in what can only be described as systematic religious profiling. The Demographics Unit mapped 28 &quot;ancestries of interest&quot; associated with Muslim populations while explicitly excluding non-Muslims like Coptic Christian Egyptians or Iranian Jews. Undercover officers embedded themselves in mosques, bodegas, coffee shops, and barber shops. Their job, according to civil liberties groups, was to &quot;live the life of a fake Muslim&quot; inside these communities. The statistics are staggering: anti-Muslim hate crimes jumped from 28 incidents in 2000 to 481 in 2001 alone. But numbers can&#39;t capture what surveillance does to a community&#39;s soul. As Dr. Debbie Almontaser, a longtime Muslim advocate, testified: &quot;The community was traumatized because of how invasive the surveillance was.&quot; Trust evaporated&mdash;not just between Muslims and law enforcement, but among Muslims themselves. You couldn&#39;t be certain your neighbor wasn&#39;t an informant. Abdullah Ahmad, a Pakistani-American Brooklynite, who grew up in the 2000s, remembers this atmosphere vividly. &quot;Growing up in New York, it was a lot of Islamophobia,&quot; he recalls. &quot;That smear campaign mentality, the stigmatism that came from the Bush administration and everything after, it shaped how we moved through the world.&quot; Yet this is also where the story turns. Because surveillance, for all its trauma, had an unintended consequence: it politicized a generation. When your community is under siege, you have two choices:&nbsp;retreat or organize. New York&#39;s Muslims chose organization. Mamdani&#39;s victory carries symbolic weight that no single person should have to bear. A 2017 Pew Research survey found that 75% of US&nbsp;Muslims agreed there is &quot;a lot of discrimination&quot; against their community. The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion noted that &quot;widespread negative representations of Islam, fear of Muslims generally, and counterterrorism policies have served to perpetuate, validate and normalize discrimination.&quot; Into this climate steps a 34-year-old who spent his early years in Uganda and Cape Town, a &quot;third culture kid&quot; who once worked as a foreclosure prevention counselor in Queens. He&#39;s being asked to represent not just eight million New Yorkers but, symbolically, 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. Yeliz Coban, a Turkish-American Brooklynite,&nbsp;understands this weight differently. &quot;It feels like being heard,&quot; she says simply. &quot;Not just being spoken at or spoken about, but truly listened to. It feels like someone who understands both the quiet resilience and the heavier burdens that Muslim communities have carried. His win isn&#39;t just symbolic&mdash;it&#39;s emotional. It feels like the city finally made space for us at the table.&quot; But the political opposition Mamdani faces reveals how precarious this moment remains. President Trump branded him a &quot;communist&quot; and vowed &quot;political retribution.&quot; Sitting members of Congress used fear-mongering, warning that his election would cause &quot;another 9/11.&quot; Trump even endorsed independent Andrew Cuomo&mdash;his political opponent&mdash;to prevent a Muslim from leading America&#39;s largest city. Masroor Jehangiri, a Pakistani-American living and studying in Staten Island, a predominantly Republican-leaning borough of NYC, feels both pride and anxiety. &quot;As a Muslim, I certainly feel proud and enabled that a person from our background can now become mayor of one of the greatest cities in the world,&quot; he says. &quot;This also comes with worry about how much Mamdani can actually deliver seeing how bad the political opposition has gotten. But I&#39;m glad his campaign revealed the mindsets of the politicians that lead us.&quot; Here&#39;s what makes Mamdani&#39;s victory genuinely transformative rather than merely symbolic: he didn&#39;t win by running away from controversy or making himself palatable to power. He won by building the largest grassroots campaign in New York history&mdash;100,000 volunteers knocking on three million doors. He won by centering economic justice: freezing rents for two million New Yorkers, making buses free, creating universal childcare, building 200,000 affordable housing units. &quot;A year ago, almost nobody had heard of Zohran Mamdani,&quot; Masroor notes. &quot;He used social media and multiple mediums to connect with younger generations, but he was also out on the streets doing ground work, genuinely connecting with everyday New Yorkers. For the first time, we witnessed a politician being genuine and honest,&nbsp;who doesn&#39;t seem trained to say certain answers but rather knows what answers people want.&quot; Abdullah saw this authenticity firsthand. &quot;Zohran has been a person of the community since the very beginning. He can speak to folks in Harlem because of his Ugandan background, or with all the desis [South Asians] in Jackson Heights.&nbsp;I recently had friends who went out for Halloween, and he was at the clubs speaking. No other politician would do that. I went to Yemeni delis, and they still have his posters up.&quot; This matters because it reframes the narrative. Mamdani isn&#39;t asking Muslims to be grateful for a seat at the table&mdash;he&#39;s reorganizing the entire table around working people&#39;s needs. South Asian voter turnout in the 2025 NYC primary increased by 40% compared to 2021, not because of identity politics but because a candidate finally spoke to their lived economic reality. The path from surveillance to City Hall wasn&#39;t inevitable, it was built. Built by Muslims who refused to self-censor out of existence, who organized despite fear, who raised their children to claim space rather than apologize for occupying it. Abdullah captures this generational shift perfectly: &quot;This 9/11 rhetoric is sort of ending. Yeah, you can instill fear from the Trump administration or Cuomo or whatever. But I think love and hope trumps all of that.&quot; Yeliz&#39;s hopes are more personal but no less powerful: &quot;My prayer is that Mamdani leads with integrity, keeps his promises, and shows this city that representation isn&#39;t something to fear but something that can expand our collective sense of belonging. If he does that, even those hesitant now will see that this moment isn&#39;t a threat, it&#39;s an opportunity.&quot; 24&nbsp;years ago, Muslim New Yorkers became surveillance subjects in their own city. Today, one of their own will lead it. That transformation didn&#39;t erase Islamophobia or solve systemic discrimination. But it proved something more important: that communities under siege can organize their way to power, that the children of immigrants can reshape the cities that once profiled them, that the distance between &quot;suspect community&quot; and City Hall is shorter than it looks&mdash;if you&#39;re willing to knock on three million doors. The future isn&#39;t certain, but it&#39;s no longer being written about Muslims. It&#39;s being written by them.

Articles

The geographic irony is almost too perfect: a Muslim mayor taking office in the very city whose police department once mapped every mosque within 100 miles.

New York once surveilled its Muslims, now Zohran Mamdani leads it

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;Lina Khan, a British-born lawyer of Pakistani descent and former chair of the US Federal Trade Commission, has been named co-chair of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani&rsquo;s all-women transition team. New York City mayor-elect Mamdani, on Wednesday, named five women to co-chair his transition team as he prepares to take office on January 1, according to AFP. The transition team includes co-chairs Lina Khan, Maria Torres‑Springer, Grace Bonilla, Melanie Hartzog, and Elana Leopold as the executive director. In a statement shared on the social media platform X, Lina Khan expressed confidence that Zohran Mamdani has the vision and courage they actually deliver, adding that it was an honor for her to be part of the transition team. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1986224535557853608&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=efc8c01abe5eb2d78c0a2154e04dd02116c2bd89&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 548px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Here are brief profiles of the transition team members: Lina Khan&nbsp;The US Federal Trade Commission&rsquo;s website says that Lina Khan served as chair of the Federal Trade Commission from June 15, 2021, to January 20, 2025. Before joining the FTC, Khan served as counsel to the US House Judiciary Committee&rsquo;s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law. She was also an associate professor at Columbia Law School. Khan is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School. According to Columbia Law School&rsquo;s website, Khan has been named to the Politico 50, Foreign Policy magazine&rsquo;s Global Thinkers, Prospect magazine&rsquo;s Top 50 Thinkers, WIRED25, National Journal 50, and Time magazine&rsquo;s Next Generation Leaders. She is a recipient of the Reinhardt Fellow 2016-2017, a scholarship for demonstrated commitment to public interest law. She has also won awards such as the Israel H. Peres Prize for best Note or Comment appearing in the Yale Law Journal (2017); Michael Egger Prize for best Yale Law Journal Note on current social problems (2017), and Arthur B. Graves Essay Prize for best essay in political theory (2010), according to Khan&rsquo;s CV available on the US Senate Committee on Housing&rsquo;s website. According to an international media report, Khan was born in London in 1989 to Pakistani parents. The family emigrated to the US when she was 11. Maria Torres-Springer&nbsp;Maria Torres-Springer resigned her post as deputy mayor under outgoing Mayor Eric Adams due to his engagement with US President Donald Trump, according to AFP. According to the New York City (NYC) government&rsquo;s website, Torres-Springer has served as the deputy mayor for housing, economic development, and workforce development.&nbsp; Torres-Springer previously was vice president of US Programs at the Ford Foundation, commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and also a president and CEO of the New York City Economic Development Corporation.&nbsp;Grace Bonilla&nbsp;According to the NYC government&rsquo;s website, Grace Bonilla has served as the president and CEO of United Way of New York City (UWNYC) since July 2022. Before her role at UWNYC, Grace held leadership positions across the nonprofit sector, including senior vice president for Latin America at Covenant House International.&nbsp;Melanie Hartzog&nbsp;According to The New York Foundling&rsquo;s website, Melanie Hartzog is the nonprofit&#39;s CEO and president. Hartzog was the deputy mayor of New York City for Health and Human Services. She previously served as the director of the Mayor&rsquo;s Office of Management and Budget.&nbsp; Hartzog holds a Master of Science degree from the New School&rsquo;s Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy and a Bachelor of Arts from Eckerd College. Elana Leopold&nbsp;Elana Leopold is a progressive political strategist and runs Seneca Strategies, New York&rsquo;s first women-run political consulting firm, according to an international publication. Landslide victory&nbsp;Mamdani, 34, broke the one-million-vote mark, earning 50% of the vote, compared to his closest rival, 67-year-old former state governor Andrew Cuomo, who won just shy of 42% in the largest turnout since 1969.

Lina Khan joins Maria Torres‑Springer, Grace Bonilla, Melanie Hartzog, and Elana Leopold as a member of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s all-women transition team tasked with preparing for Mamdani’s administration, which begins on January 1.

Who is Lina Khan and Mamdani’s all-women transition team?

NEW YORK: New York mayoral election winner Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday that he was ready to engage with his arch-critic, President Donald Trump, on the issue of the cost of living. The Muslim-American lawmaker, whose rapid ascent from rank outsider to mayor-elect has stunned observers, joked at a briefing that the &ldquo;White House hasn&rsquo;t reached out to congratulate me.&rdquo; &ldquo;I continue to be interested in having a conversation with President Trump on the ways in which we can work together to serve New Yorkers,&rdquo; he said, suggesting &ldquo;delivering on his campaign promises around cost of living&rdquo; as one. Mamdani, like Trump, put the high cost of living, impact of inflation, and elevated grocery expenses at the heart of his campaign, which triumphed over former governor Andrew Cuomo&rsquo;s platform. &ldquo;I think the lesson for the president is that it&rsquo;s not enough to diagnose the crisis in working class Americans lives. You have to deliver on addressing that crisis.&rdquo; Mamdani called out Trump for his own campaign promises to address the soaring cost of groceries, but sought to suspend food assistance during the government shutdown while in office. After winning on promises to make city bus travel free, control rents, and offer free childcare, Mamdani said, &ldquo;what scares Republicans across the country is the fact that we will actually deliver on this agenda.&rdquo; Mamdani on Wednesday introduced the five women who will co-chair his transition. Among them is Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission under Joe Biden, and Maria Torres-Springer, who resigned her post as deputy mayor under outgoing mayor Eric Adams due to his engagement with Trump.

New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday he is open to discussing cost-of-living issues with President Donald Trump, despite the two having sharply opposing political views and a history of public criticism.

NY’s Mamdani ready to discuss cost of living with Trump

ISLAMABAD: Former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday night posted a cryptic message, &ldquo;So, it begins!&rdquo;, on his social media platform Truth Social, shortly after Zohran Mamdani delivered his victory speech as New York City&rsquo;s new mayor, a post widely interpreted as a veiled threat toward the progressive politician.<div class="fr-embed"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115495225031046506/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>Mamdani, the city&rsquo;s first Muslim and South Asian mayor, had directly challenged Trump in his remarks, saying, &ldquo;Donald Trump, since I know you&rsquo;re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up!&rdquo; &ldquo;In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light,&rdquo; Mamdani declared to a cheering crowd. &ldquo;If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.&rdquo; The 33-year-old Democrat, known for his outspoken socialist stance, pledged to &ldquo;end the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Donald Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks.&rdquo; His economic plan includes raising the corporate tax rate to match New Jersey&rsquo;s 11.5 percent and imposing a 2 percent wealth tax on New Yorkers earning more than one million dollars annually. Mamdani also announced ambitious social policies, promising to freeze rents for all tenants in rent-stabilized apartments and to hold negligent landlords accountable. &ldquo;The Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants,&rdquo; he said. As part of his affordability agenda, Mamdani vowed to make city buses fare-free, describing public transport as &ldquo;a right, not a privilege.&rdquo; He said the initiative would be funded through increased taxes on corporations and the city&rsquo;s wealthiest residents. Trump&rsquo;s latest post, &ldquo;AND SO IT BEGINS,&rdquo; marked a continuation of his long-running hostility toward Mamdani. During the campaign, Trump had repeatedly attacked him, calling him &ldquo;a 100% communist lunatic&rdquo; and &ldquo;not very smart.&rdquo; In previous statements, Trump warned he would withhold federal funds from New York if Mamdani became mayor. &ldquo;If you have a communist running New York, all you&rsquo;re doing is wasting money sending it there,&rdquo; he said at a rally, urging voters to back Mamdani&rsquo;s rival, former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Trump has also mocked Mamdani&rsquo;s appearance and intelligence, once telling CBS&rsquo;s 60 Minutes that he was &ldquo;much better looking&rdquo; than the new mayor. When interviewer Norah O&rsquo;Donnell referred to Mamdani as a socialist, Trump interjected, &ldquo;Communist, not a socialist &mdash; he&rsquo;s far worse than a socialist.&rdquo; In his previous statements, Trump had warned that Mamdani could face arrest if he interfered with federal immigration operations. Responding to Mamdani&rsquo;s pledge to prevent masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from &ldquo;deporting our neighbors,&rdquo; Trump said at a news conference, &ldquo;Well, then, we&rsquo;ll have to arrest him.&rdquo; Could the exchange signal an impending clash between Mamdani&rsquo;s left-wing populism and Trump&rsquo;s conservative resurgence ahead of the next presidential election cycle, setting the stage for a potentially volatile relationship between City Hall and Washington?

Trump's post comes after Mamdani directly challenged Trump in his remarks, saying, “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.”

Trump targets newly elected New York mayor Zohran Mamdani after fiery victory speech

NEW YORK: New Yorkers elected young leftist Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor Tuesday and Democrats won two key state governor races as US voters delivered an early warning to President Donald Trump ahead of 2026&#39;s midterms.&nbsp;The clean sweep of the top contests among several ballots nationwide will boost morale for Democrats bruised by Trump&#39;s onslaught since returning to the White House, and set alarm bells ringing in Republican circles.&nbsp;Mamdani&#39;s victory came in the face of fierce attacks on his policies and Muslim heritage from President Donald Trump, business elites and conservative media. In his post-victory speech, Mamdani said his decisive victory shows a way to defeat US President Donald Trump, who has been a fierce critic of the young Muslim&#39;s Democratic socialist policies.&nbsp;&ldquo;If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him,&rdquo; Zohran Mamdani said in a victory speech to supporters.&nbsp;&ldquo;In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Democratic party&#39;s victories in the governor&#39;s races in Virginia and New Jersey suggested a shift in political mood as the country looks to next year&#39;s midterm elections when control of Congress will be up for grabs.&nbsp;Trump says govt shutdown led to election losses Trump refused to take any blame for Tuesday&#39;s results. In a post on his Truth Social network, he cited anonymous &ldquo;pollsters&rdquo; suggesting the Republican defeats were down to the government shutdown and the fact that his own name wasn&#39;t on ballots.&nbsp;<iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115494873923565600/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>Former presidents, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, congratulated Mamdani and other Democratic candidates who won the elections.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1985905461678522615&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F1949%2F&sessionId=72c8fa03138106a77e21ac8bdbe95258680f95c6&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 297px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1985901630420820287&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F1949%2F&sessionId=72c8fa03138106a77e21ac8bdbe95258680f95c6&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe><div class="fr-embed"> </div> </div>House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said, &quot;Democrats are smoking Donald Trump and Republican extremists throughout the country,&quot; writing on X that &quot;the Democratic Party is back.&quot; Mamdani, a state lawmaker for New York&#39;s Queens borough, appealed to voters by pledging to tackle the soaring cost of living, offering free city bus travel, childcare and city-run grocery stores.&nbsp;He focused on living costs facing ordinary New Yorkers, building support through his informal personal style, social media savvy and a massive canvassing ground game.&nbsp;&quot;The next and last stop is City Hall,&quot; Mamdani said in a video posted to X after his victory was declared.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1985899742044262838&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=874051564003269fb801b75fbf087022e5bc79a2&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 504px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The self-described socialist was virtually unknown before his upset victory to secure the Democratic nomination over former governor Andrew Cuomo, who he trounced again Tuesday.&nbsp;There was a party atmosphere at his results viewing gathering for supporters being held at a storied concert venue in Brooklyn, with the 34-year-old expected to speak later in the night.&nbsp;Trump made an eleventh-hour intervention in the race, calling Mamdani who will become New York&#39;s first Muslim mayor when he takes office in January, a &quot;Jew hater.&quot; Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels citizen crime patrol group, came in third after weeks of Cuomo insisting he bow out to increase his chances.&nbsp;Prominent business people including Bill Ackman noisily attacked Mamdani and funneled cash to his rivals, while conservative media including The New York Post published blanket negative coverage.&nbsp;Turnout was high in this year&#39;s vote with 1.45 million people casting ballots by 3 pm (2000 GMT) &mdash; more than the total number of voters in the 2021 race.<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; width: 898.188px; display: flex; overflow: hidden; max-width: initial; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Uphill struggle&nbsp;Mamdani&#39;s improbable rise highlights the Democratic Party&#39;s debate over a centrist or a leftist future, with some leading national figures offering only tepid endorsements of Mamdani ahead of voting. Cuomo said there was &quot;a civil war in the Democratic Party.&quot; &quot;You have an extreme radical left that is run by the socialists, that is challenging what they would call moderate Democrats. I&#39;m a moderate Democrat,&quot; he said after voting. Syracuse University political science professor Grant Reeher said ahead of the result Mayor Mamdani would face an uphill battle &quot;at the center of all of these nasty political controversies.&quot; &quot;Everybody&#39;s got their knives out, and it&#39;s a very difficult city to govern,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;Progressives probably would have been better served if they had someone like this win a city that was easier to govern.&quot; In New Jersey, Democratic Party candidate Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, beat out Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a businessman backed by Trump. In Virginia&#39;s race for governor, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger unseated a Republican incumbent to beat Virginia&#39;s Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. Both sides wheeled out big guns, with former president Barack Obama rallying support for Spanberger and Sherrill over the weekend and Trump scheduling tele-rallies for both Virginia and New Jersey on the eve of voting. Ghazala Hashmi makes history in VirginiaGhazala Hashmi has become the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office in the United States. Hashmi, a Democrat, defeated Republican John Reid in the Virginia lieutenant governor&rsquo;s race, securing 747,773 votes (53.8%) to Reid&rsquo;s 659,421 (46.4%). Hashmi maintained a steady lead throughout the campaign, though polls tightened in the final days before election day. Earlier in June, she narrowly clinched the Democratic nomination, defeating former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and state Senator Aaron Rouse in a closely contested primary. A member of the Democratic Party&rsquo;s progressive wing, Hashmi enjoyed strong support from figures such as Representative Ro Khanna of California. Born in Hyderabad, India, Hashmi moved to the US in her youth and earned a PhD in English from Emory University. She taught English at Virginia community colleges for over two decades before entering politics. Her 2019 election to the Virginia Senate made her the first Muslim woman to serve in the state legislature, a milestone now extended to statewide office.

In Virginia's race for governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger wins over a Republican incumbent Winsome Earle-Sears; Ghazala Hashmi defeats Republican writer and conservative talk show host John Reid in the Virginia lieutenant governor’s race

Zohran Mamdani elected New York's first Muslim mayor

NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani may not solve all of the beleaguered US Democrats&#39; problems, but the surprise frontrunner in the race for New York mayor does offer hints on how to win back voters and power. The Democrats -- shut out of power in the White House and both chambers of Congress -- are seen negatively by 63% of US voters, according to a July poll in the Wall Street Journal, the party&#39;s lowest approval rating in 30 years. John Kane, a professor of political science at New York University, said the party needs to reconnect with its traditional base, including lower-income Americans and young voters. Freeze on rent hikes&nbsp;Mamdani, a 34-year-old self-described democratic socialist, has developed a plan to lure working-class people and young adults, for whom famously expensive New York is becoming harder and harder to call home. His platform&#39;s highlights include a freeze on rent hikes, free bus service, and day care. Mamdani&#39;s opposition to President Donald Trump has a strong symbolic appeal for a Democratic base &quot;which feels almost entirely powerless in the present moment,&quot; Kane told AFP. Scandal-tainted Cuomo&nbsp;He has a more than 10-point lead over his main rival in the Nov. 4 election for mayor, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, a scandal-tainted veteran Democrat who is running as an independent this time. &quot;Mamdani is evidence that the American left still has some juice in it in 2025,&quot; said Daniel Schlozman, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University. But New York -- America&#39;s biggest city and an ethnically diverse, historically Democratic one -- does not reflect the United States as a whole, Schlozman said. And while enthusiasm over Mamdani is one thing, his success is &quot;a very different matter from Democrats at large winning the elections they need to win to take control of the House next year, maybe the Senate, and the presidency in 2028,&quot; he added. National electorate&nbsp;Schlozman said Mamdani is a compelling leader who understands that affordability issues in New York are critical, but cautioned that the national electorate is probably not ready for his policies. Democrats would need to address affordability in a very different way from him to satisfy voters even in other Democratic-leaning states, much less swing states that can go either way, he continued. Kane also said that outside large cities, where people are used to seeing all kinds of nationalities and heritages, Mamdani&#39;s origin and religion and his past statements calling the police &quot;racist&quot; might fail to win over some voters. The candidate was born in Uganda to a Muslim family of Indian origin and became a US citizen in 2018. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Right message, wrong messenger&#39;&nbsp;</h2>Then there is also the risk of Republicans seizing on Mamdani to ridicule Democratic policies, just as Trump has dismissed him as a &quot;little communist&quot; who is too willing to spend taxpayer money. Many in the party &quot;might regard Mamdani as a case of right message, wrong messenger,&quot; said Kane in reference to Mamdani&#39;s policies. Most moderates in the Democratic Party, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is from New York, have so far abstained from endorsing Mamdani. &quot;Some moderate Democrats may shy away from Mamdani based on policy stances, while others shy away simply because they don&#39;t view him as an electable candidate at the national level,&quot; said Kane. Cannot run for presidentIndeed, political experts say that New York differs enough from the rest of the US that it is not necessarily the best place for a Democrat to launch a national campaign. In any case, Mamdani could only go so high in US politics -- since he was not born in the United States, he cannot run for president.

Mamdani has developed a plan to lure the working class; he espouses a rent freeze, free bus service, and day care. Could he one day run for president?

Articles tagged with "Zohran Mamdani"