Shahana Hanif on Mamdani’s Primary Win

The New York City Democratic primary win of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in June has altered the political landscape, but it has also exposed him to unwelcome attention and accusations. Before the election, he allegedly received death and bomb threats. A few days after Mamdani's primary triumph in the ranked-choice race, Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee railed on social media about Mamdani and his immigrant roots, calling for the Democrat’s denaturalization and deportation. On Tuesday, President Trump incorrectly suggested Mamdani was in the United States illegally.

As the first Muslim woman to be elected to New York City Council and an ally of Mamdani, Shahana Hanif, who represents Brooklyn’s 39th District and is co-chair of the City Council’s Progressive Caucus, is considering how to deal with anti-Islamic language and rhetoric.

“Zohran and I are bridge-builders,” Hanif said in an interview with FUV News. “We have been in the organizing spaces post-9/11 and have seen how families have been separated by policies that are directed at certain communities.”

She said she has seen racist treatment of Muslims her whole life. “So, on one hand, this is terrible," she said. "Islamophobia is terrible and needs to be rooted out and also called out." Hanif added that she is “feeling a bit numb because it’s just been so normal to see and read these things about Muslim people.”

A portion of this interview ran on the What’s What podcast from WFUV News on July 2, 2025.