New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is under fresh scrutiny after reports that he met repeatedly with Sheikh Fadhel al‑Sahlani, the longtime imam at the Al‑Khoei Islamic Center in Jamaica, Queens. The meetings, reported to have taken place at least three times since January 2025, are surfacing just as parts of the city’s Jewish leadership publicly challenge the mayor’s handling of the Israel‑Palestine conflict and question who is getting face time at City Hall.
As reported by the Washington Free Beacon, video and records show Mamdani visiting the Al‑Khoei center multiple times and joining congregants for Ramadan prayers in February. The outlet says the visits stretch back to January 2025 and that records reflect at least three in‑person appearances by the mayor.
Imam's past remarks
Translations circulated by MEMRI, along with reporting compiled by JNS, highlight a series of controversial statements by Al‑Sahlani. The coverage points to a 2006 interview in which he said Holocaust numbers had been “exaggerated,” and a November 2023 clip in which he praised Hamas as having “made a big difference” for the Arab world.
Mayor's office response
In a statement to the Washington Free Beacon, Mamdani spokesman Sam Raskin said, “Sheikh Fadhel Al‑Sahlani's Holocaust denial and comments about Hamas are diametrically opposed to the mayor's values and everything he has said and stood for.” Raskin added that elected officials routinely visit houses of worship across New York City, and that a visit should not be read as an endorsement of every statement made by a cleric.
Local reaction
Several major Jewish organizations declined to attend the mayor’s Shavuot event at Gracie Mansion this week, and community leaders say the mosque meetings have aggravated long‑standing tensions, according to JTA. That split has made it harder for Mamdani to rebuild trust even as he pursues pledges to expand funding for hate‑crime prevention.
Other politicians and the mosque
The mosque has also drawn attention for its ties to other progressive politicians. A MEMRI clip and subsequent reporting show former city comptroller Brad Lander visiting Al‑Khoei on May 15, where he spoke to worshippers, a stop that revived public focus on the imam’s record. JNS provides the video and a timeline of Lander’s visit.
Budget and political stakes
Mamdani has tried to blunt criticism by proposing a substantial increase in hate‑crime prevention funding. The administration has said $26 million would be added to city programs, a figure reported by Jewish Insider. Supporters say the move shows the mayor’s commitment to Jewish safety, even as critics argue his outreach choices undercut that message.
For now, the disclosures have reopened a familiar New York argument about which faith leaders a mayor should meet with, and how those encounters are explained to the wider public. City Hall says Mamdani will keep engaging with religious communities across the five boroughs while pointing to the administration’s work on public safety and anti‑hate initiatives.
