Khaberni - At a time when the debate over immigration policies in the United States is intensifying, New York Mayor Zehran Mumdani stepped forward to defend a decree that restricts arrests by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, drawing on the values of the Prophetic biography to guide his message on protecting immigrants.
Mumdani affirmed that the story of migration is always a reminder that the Prophet ﷺ was also a stranger, forced to leave Mecca and welcomed in Medina.
He added that this story represents a moral compass for contemporary policies, calling on authorities to consider humanity before bureaucratic procedures.
Mumdani cited a verse from the chapter of An-Nahl: {And those who emigrated for the sake of Allah after they had been wronged, We will surely settle them in this world in a good place}.
He concluded his speech with a saying of the Prophet ﷺ: "Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange as it began, so blessed are the strangers."
Mumdani stated that these values could be translated into tangible policies providing protection and inclusion for the strangers and immigrants, asserting: "Let us establish a new expectation for the role of the municipality, where authority is exercised with love, inclusion, and protection."
The Mayor of New York accused the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency of spreading "terror" among immigrants, committing practices he described as "harsh and conscience-shaking."
Mumdani, during the first annual Interfaith Dialogue Iftar hosted by New York City at the public library attended by about 400 religious and community leaders, said that federal immigration officers "pull people from their cars, point guns at the unarmed, and ruthlessly tear apart families."
He described the federal immigration policies as "a direct assault on human and religious values," considering that what the immigration police are doing neither serves justice nor protects the society, but instead sows fear.
A video of Mumdani, in which he calls on American authorities to take Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as a role model in their immigration policies, has spread widely on social media platforms, amidst significant interaction from followers and tweeters.
Tweeters believe that the mayor's use of this discourse aims to break stereotypes and address the human conscience through the window of shared religious history.
Tweeters mentioned that this is the first time in New York’s history that a mayor has publicly cited a verse from the Holy Quran and the Prophetic saying: "Islam began as something strange and will return to being strange as it began,” in front of the city's residents, invoking the Prophetic migration and Islamic values of justice and mercy towards strangers.
Bloggers described Mumdani's personality as impressive, especially amid the rising voices of hatred towards Islam and Muslims clearly and sharply.
They noted that it is not easy for a Muslim to reach such a position and to openly display his Islamic references.
Others considered that Mumdani's speech could spark broader discussions about immigration policies in the United States, especially in a multicultural and multi-religious city like New York.
Others affirmed that Mumdani's stance could enhance trust between the Muslim community and local authorities and convey a message that holding a political position can be practiced while preserving religious identity and human values, representing a rare model on the American level.
Since January 7th, American cities have witnessed widespread protests against the deadly violence used by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in their campaign against immigrants, which resulted in the deaths of two citizens in Minneapolis.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, thousands of federal agents, often armed and masked, execute raids in American cities to arrest undocumented immigrants.
