'After 9/11, my aunt did not feel safe in her hijab': Zohran Mamdani speaks to New York Muslims; JD Vance reacts

Zohran Mamdani , running in the 2025 New York City mayoral race , addressed a crowd of Muslim New Yorkers outside a Bronx mosque on 24 October, recounting how his aunt avoided riding the subway after the 11 September 2001 attacks because she felt unsafe wearing her hijab. The remarks came amid a campaign marked by heightened racial and religious tension, as Mamdani and his opponents trade accusations over Islamophobia and public safety policies.


Zohran Mamdani’s hijab remarks

Mamdani said that in the years following 9/11 , he saw what he described as “undercurrents of suspicion” toward Muslim residents of New York. Speaking in visibly emotional terms, he stated his aunt’s subway avoidance was emblematic of what he called enduring discrimination against Muslims . He used the anecdote to frame his broader message about representation, faith and civic participation.

The address occurred just days before early voting begins in one of America’s biggest mayoral contests. Mamdani, a state assemblyman, is the Democratic nominee . His opponents include former governor Andrew Cuomo (running as an independent) and Republican Curtis Sliwa . The campaign has already featured high-profile controversies, including allegations of Islamophobic rhetoric directed at Mamdani and his faith background.


JD Vance reacts to Mamdani’s Muslim outreach
JD Vance was among those who sharply criticised Mamdani’s framing, arguing that invoking a family member’s discomfort after 9/11 risks minimising the scale of the tragedy. Vance remarked that Mamdani’s comments made it seem “the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks,” suggesting the anecdote shifts attention away from the thousands killed and the families still dealing with long-term trauma.

According to Zohran the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks https://t.co/UGeKANSAH2

— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 25, 2025

Similar responses on social media echoed this sentiment, contending that personal stories of discrimination should not appear to compete with the collective loss and sacrifice associated with 9/11.