New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani appeared in a widely shared photo this week standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Imam Siraj Wahhaj at Masjid At-Taqwa in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Wahhaj has been cited as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and previously delivered a sermon urging a large-scale “march” across New York City.
The image was posted to social media the day after the first mayoral debate and quickly became a focal point for campaign scrutiny. While Mamdani described the imam as “one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community,” his opponents seized on the reference to Wahhaj’s extremist associations to question Mamdani’s judgment and ties.
In response, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa called the meet-up “deeply troubling” and argued that New Yorkers deserve a mayor who aligns strictly with public safety and counter-terrorism norms—not one photographed with extremist-linked figures. The exchange has forced Mamdani’s campaign to defend the significance of the event and clarify his relationship with Wahhaj.