The election of Zohran Mamdani in the Bronx, following a campaign marred by anti-Muslim attacks, highlights a pattern of toxic politics also experienced by the Mayor of London. However, these victories demonstrate that in diverse global cities, voters prioritize unity, policy, and shared values over fear and division.
Weeks before his election, Zohran Mamdani delivered a deeply personal speech outside a Bronx mosque. This address followed days after a New York radio host suggested Mamdani would “cheering” if another 9/11 occurred—the high-water mark of anti-Muslim hatred he had faced since declaring his candidacy last year.
Mamdani responded defiantly, expressing pride in his faith and discussing the climate of fear he and many other Muslim New Yorkers experience. He recalled an elder advising him that to succeed in politics, he should hide his religion. Choosing to speak out instead of remaining quiet required immense courage, but sometimes, standing up and saying “enough is enough” is necessary.
This experience is sadly familiar. While I identify as a politician who happens to be Muslim, not a Muslim politician, my mayoral campaign was constantly defined by my faith. My decision to run was driven solely by the determination to improve the lives of people in the city I love. Yet, rival candidates repeatedly sought to define me solely by my creed. Days before I was elected, my main opponent published an article accusing me of being friends with terrorists, accompanied by an image of a double-decker bus destroyed in the horrific 7/7 London bombings.
These kinds of attacks have persisted. Instead of criticizing my political decisions as those of a politician they disagree with, a small but loud minority attempts to deride them as the actions of a Muslim man. Just last month, the President of the United States claimed during his U.N. General Assembly address that I was trying to introduce Sharia Law in London!
It is hard not to read these outlandish claims as a symptom of a deepening fear among President Trump and his allies that this toxic brand of politics is ineffective in diverse cities. The fact that London and New York are now led by Muslim mayors is extraordinary, but ultimately beside the point in two of the world’s most diverse metropolises. We did not win because of our faith; we won because we addressed voters’ concerns, rather than playing on them.
In recent years, we have heard a growing chorus of commentators and politicians on both sides of the Atlantic attacking cities for their liberal values. Painting a picture of a lawless dystopia, they advocate the same old authoritarian solutions—from deporting hundreds of thousands of legal migrants by removing their right to remain, to deploying the National Guard to clamp down on dissent. However, this narrative falls on deaf ears for most Londoners and New Yorkers.
These citizens do not care about where your family is originally from or the God you worship. They are proud of their city’s diversity and do not choose their politicians by creed, color, or culture. They choose them because they demand bold, ambitious policies commensurate with the size and scale of the challenges their cities are facing. They want:
- Greener cities, where they can walk without worrying about breathing toxic air.
- Fairer societies, where the size of their salaries does not determine their children’s chances in life.
- Help dealing with the cost-of-living crisis.
- A more prosperous economy where growth leaves no one behind.
While Mayor Mamdani and I may not agree on every policy detail—and many of our cities’ challenges are similar but not identical—we are united by something far more fundamental: our belief in the power of politics to change people’s lives for the better.
For decades, doubters have predicted the decline of London and New York. But each time we have faced a crisis of confidence, we have emerged even stronger than before. This resilience is rooted in the fact that London and New York are cities where the dream of social mobility is still alive.
Today, an affordability crisis threatens that dream. Mamdani’s election confirms that New Yorkers—like Londoners—understand that the answer is not to abandon the values which define us, but to defend them. We must implement policies that protect the foundational promise of our cities: that, no matter who you are or where you are from, you can achieve anything. As some seek to turn back the clock on progress, we are standing firm. In our cities, fear and division won’t get you far. Hope and unity will always win.
