Smirking Zohran Mamdani Breaks Silence Over Ties To Terror-Linked Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj

Democratic socialist mayoral contender Zohran Mamdani spoke out Sunday for the first time about his connection to Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has long faced accusations of ties to terrorism, dismissing the uproar as an attack on his religion.

Earlier in the day, Mamdani had smiled and waved off questions about the issue, refusing to respond. But when he finally did address the controversy, he claimed that the criticism stemmed from anti-Muslim bias rather than his own actions.

“The same imam met with Mayor Bloomberg, met with Mayor De Blasio, campaigned alongside Eric Adams, and the only time it became an issue of national attention was when I met with him,” Mamdani told reporters at an unrelated press event.

“That’s because of the fact of my faith and because I’m on the precipice of winning this election,” the Democratic front-runner continued, before taking aim at his opponent, Andrew Cuomo.

“Andrew Cuomo joins a list of those who would cheer threats to blow up my car, those who would call me a jihadist – Laura Loomer, Elon Musk, the vice president and he would rather seek to smear my plans to support queer New Yorkers across the five boroughs than speak about his own, and that’s because he has none,” Mamdani said.

When questioned earlier in the day about Wahhaj, Mamdani refused to offer any explanation.

“Mr. Mamdani, anything to say about the imam? He said some nasty stuff, does it bug you?” a New York Post reporter asked. “Anything?”

Mamdani simply smirked and walked away without responding, entering a waiting SUV. Later that afternoon, he again grinned but avoided answering further questions about the Brooklyn imam, who has been accused of anti-gay rhetoric and alleged extremist connections.

The controversy began Friday after Mamdani met with Wahhaj and praised him online.

“Today at Masjid At-Taqwa, I had the pleasure of meeting with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community for nearly half a century,” Mamdani wrote on X.

That post immediately sparked backlash because of Wahhaj’s controversial history.

According to The New York Times, Wahhaj was named an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which killed six people, after investigators learned that several suspects had attended his mosque.

Though Wahhaj was never charged and denied any wrongdoing, he later defended the perpetrators and publicly labeled the FBI and CIA as “the real terrorists.”

His family has also been tied to disturbing events. In 2018, his son was arrested and later sentenced to life in prison after authorities discovered he had been training a group of teenagers in a New Mexico desert to carry out terror attacks. Wahhaj had homeschooled his son but later called him mentally ill and claimed he was the one who contacted police to stop him.

Both of Mamdani’s main rivals — Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa — condemned his association with the imam, calling it unacceptable for anyone seeking the city’s highest office.

“New York needs a mayor who protects New Yorkers from terrorism, not embraces terrorists,” Sliwa said.

{Matzav.com}