Khaberni - Zehran Memdani, the Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York City, pledged to uphold his Islamic identity, in response to an escalating campaign described as racist by his opponent Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York and his supporters.
Outside a mosque in the Bronx area of New York last Friday, surrounded by a number of elders, Memdani spoke about the insults that Muslim residents of the city have long faced.
He held back tears as he described how his veiled aunt decided not to ride the subway after the September 11 attacks because she did not feel safe.
Memdani recounted how when he first entered the world of politics, his uncle gently suggested that he "keep his faith to himself".
He said, "These are lessons that many Muslims in New York have learned, and over the past few days, these lessons have become the closing messages of Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa, and Eric Adams."
At a later press conference, Cuomo accused his opponent of "playing the victim" for political purposes and denied the existence of widespread Islamophobia in New York.
If Memdani wins the election next month, he will be the first Muslim mayor of the city and the youngest in 100 years.
