It’s a photo that’s sparked a political firestorm in New York City: mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, smiling and shaking hands with Imam Siraj Wahhaj at Masjid At-Taqwa in Brooklyn, flanked by Councilman Yusef Salaam. What might have been a routine campaign stop has instead ignited fierce debate about judgment, faith, and the boundaries of political alliances—especially when those alliances involve figures with controversial pasts.
The image, posted by Mamdani on X (formerly Twitter) after Friday prayers on October 18, 2025, was accompanied by glowing praise. "Today at Masjid At-Taqwa, I had the pleasure of meeting with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community for nearly half a century," Mamdani wrote. But within hours, critics across the political spectrum were voicing concerns—not just about the optics, but about what the photo signified for the city’s future leadership.
Imam Wahhaj is no stranger to controversy. Prosecutors once named him an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed six people and injured more than a thousand. While Wahhaj was never charged and has denied involvement, his mosque was attended by several of those convicted in the attack. Over the years, he’s drawn scrutiny for defending Omar Abdel Rahman—the so-called "Blind Sheikh," mastermind of the bombing—and for fundraising on behalf of other convicted terrorists, including El Sayyid Nosair, who assassinated Rabbi Meir Kahane and was later convicted in connection with the bombing plot.
The backlash was swift. Vice President JD Vance took to X, declaring, "I’ve been reliably informed that Democrats are opposed to any kind of political violence, so I look forward to them universally condemning Zohran Mamdani for campaigning with an unindicted co-conspirator in a terrorist plot that killed 6 New Yorkers." Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa didn’t mince words either, calling Mamdani’s association "disqualifying" and adding, "New York needs a mayor who protects New Yorkers from terrorism, not embraces terrorists." Even former Governor Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent, weighed in: "[Mamdani] is proud to be standing with an unindicted co-conspirator in the ’93 World Trade Center terror attack that killed New Yorkers? The same person who preaches radical hate toward the LGBTQ community? When people tell you who they are, you should believe them—and Zohran, wipe that smile off your face."
Yet for Mamdani, the uproar was less about Wahhaj’s record and more, he claimed, about his own. "The same imam met with Mayor Bloomberg, met with Mayor De Blasio, campaigned alongside Eric Adams, and the only time it became an issue of national attention was when I met with him," he told reporters at an unrelated event. "That’s because of the fact of my faith and because I’m on the precipice of winning this election." Mamdani also accused Cuomo and other critics of stoking Islamophobia and distracting from policy debates: "Andrew Cuomo joins a list of those who would cheer threats to blow up my car, those who would call me a jihadist... and he would rather seek to smear my plans to support queer New Yorkers across the five boroughs than speak about his own, and that’s because he has none."
But the controversy goes beyond politics as usual. Imam Wahhaj’s record is replete with inflammatory statements. He has publicly denounced the United States as "filthy" and "sick," once declaring at a 1995 conference, "You know what this country is? It’s a garbage can. Filthy. Filthy and sick." In 1991, he told a gathering, "Politics can be a weapon to use in the cause of Islam." He’s also quoted Islamic scripture calling for the death of gay men, though he’s discouraged physical violence, instead urging followers to "invite them to Islam and make them feel uncomfortable." Wahhaj has also advocated for a "gun-free jihad," urging thousands of Muslim men to march through New York City to disrupt it—"Let them hear your voice... until the whole city can’t sleep."
His personal life has been shadowed by further scandal. In 2018, three of Wahhaj’s children were arrested after authorities discovered 11 malnourished children living in a New Mexico compound, where one of his grandchildren had died during an attempted exorcism. Prosecutors alleged that Wahhaj’s son was training teenagers for terror attacks; the children were later sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024. Wahhaj insisted he was the one who called the police on his "sick" son and daughters, saying he sought to thwart their plans.
For many, Mamdani’s embrace of Wahhaj raises troubling questions about judgment. Two retired FBI agents who investigated the 1993 World Trade Center bombing told Fox News they were alarmed. "Zohran Mamdani’s embrace of Siraj Wahhaj is an example of Mamdani’s ignorance of history. Either he doesn’t know who Wahhaj is or he doesn’t care. Whichever it is, Mamdani looks foolish," said Frank Pellegrino, who investigated the attack. John Anticev, the lead case agent, added, "Everybody who is in politics should be aware of the people whose endorsement they’re getting. Imam Siraj Wahhaj has been a cleric who has endorsed a radical agenda."
Muslim reformers were also unsettled. Dalia Ziada, a Washington-based scholar, warned, "By embracing Wahhaj, Zohran Mamdani is sidelining moderate Muslims and normalizing an extremist ideology that once inspired terror on American soil and still fuels radicalization within segments of the Muslim community today." Soraya Deen, founder of the Muslim Women Speakers Movement, recounted hearing Wahhaj preach two decades ago: "I was stunned and bewildered by his call to destroy America, and make Islam great." She called the Mamdani photo "dangerous for America and dangerous for Muslims."
Wahhaj’s ideological influence extends beyond rhetoric. He’s been a mentor to Brooklyn activist Linda Sarsour, who has led anti-Israel marches and left the Women’s March over accusations of antisemitism. Wahhaj has headlined fundraisers for groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, including CAIR and the Islamic Circle of North America. In 2003, he told the Wall Street Journal that a society governed by strict Islamic law "would be superior to American democracy." He’s denounced homosexuality as "a disease of this society," supported stoning for adultery, and urged Muslims to avoid befriending non-believers.
The controversy has not subsided. Mamdani’s silence—smirking and refusing to comment when pressed by reporters—has fueled further criticism. For many New Yorkers, the episode has become a litmus test for the kind of leadership the city wants. Is it possible to champion diversity and inclusion while embracing figures with such divisive records? Or does the photo signal a troubling tolerance for extremism at the highest levels of city politics?
As the mayoral race barrels toward November, one thing is clear: the debate over Mamdani’s association with Imam Wahhaj has become a defining moment, forcing the city to confront uncomfortable questions about faith, judgment, and the boundaries of political alliances in an era of heightened scrutiny and deepening divides.
