Zohran Mamdani slams India Prime Minister Narendra Modi as `war criminal'
Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani denounced India Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'war criminal' — and is now being ripped by other city leaders for spreading 'hate' about the Hindu head of state.
On the heels of making similarly provocative comments about Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mamdani blasted Modi during a recent mayoral forum.
'This is someone we should view in the same manner we do Benjamin Netenyahu. This is a war criminal,' Mamdani said when asked a hypothetical question about whether he would meet Modi if the Indian leader visited the Big Apple.
Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani denounced India Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a 'war criminal.'
LP Media
Mamdani, who is a Muslim of Indian descent, noted that his father Mahmood's family hails from the Gujarat region of India, where Modi has been accused of allowing a massacre of 1,000 Muslims to go on in 2002. It's a claim Modi has repeatedly denied.
'Narendra Modi helped to orchestrate what was a mass slaughter of Muslims in Gujarat to the extent that [people] don't even believe there are Gujarat Muslims anymore,' Mamdani said during the May 15 'New Mayor, New Media' event sponsored by New York Focus and HellGate NY.
He also said people are 'shocked' when he reveals he's a Gujarat Muslim.
He previously slammed two New York politicians of Indian descent — Queens Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar and former state Sen. Kevin Thomas — for being aligned with or not condemning Modi and his ruling Hindu government.
'This is someone we should view in the same manner we do Benjamin Netenyahu. This is a war criminal,' Mamdani said when asked a hypothetical question about whether he would meet Modi if the Indian leader visited the Big Apple.
Indian Press Information Bureau (PIB)/AFP via Getty Images
In 2020, he criticized other lawmakers of Indian descent for associating with Modi's regime.
'@JeniferRajkumar should return the money she's taken from Hindu fascists,' he said in a tweet, referring to the Queens assemblywoman who is now running for public advocate.
'@KevinThomasNY should acknowledge the terrifying truth of what's happening to Muslim Indians,' he added, referring to the former Long Island state senator.
He also said former Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney should 'renounce her association with Modi & condemn the atrocities he's perpetrated.'
In response, Rajkumar, an Indo-American who is Hindu, took a swipe at Mamdani.
'At a time when New Yorkers are struggling with real issues—rising crime, a housing crisis, and growing hate—we cannot afford to be distracted by extreme, divisive language about foreign leaders,' Rajkumar said.
'Hinduism is a faith of peace, nonviolence, and interfaith harmony. Hindu voters want our leaders to build bridges—not burn them. We must reject hate—whether it comes from the far left or the far right. Our city deserves leaders who unite, not provoke—who build coalitions, not headlines,' the lawmaker said in a swipe at Mamdani.
Jaspreet Singh, a Sikh Community Leader and human rights lawyer, said, 'Hate has no place in our city. We believe in equality, love and respect for all. We believe all are children of the same God.
'But Zohran has used his platform to amplify some of the worst anti-Hindu rhetoric imaginable. Words matter, and instead of uniting the Indian community, he seeks to divide us by religion, pitting Muslims and Hindus against each other. Associating Hindus with fascism and using derogatory words against them is highly objectionable.'
Singh accused Mamdani of trying to 'dehumanize' the Hindu community.
'Hatred serves no purpose. People who wish to serve others in any capacity should rise above it. He owes the Hindu community an apology and if he cares about human rights, he'll start treating us as equals. This type of hateful rhetoric against our community has no place in New York, let alone anywhere near the footsteps of City Hall.'
Mamdani's criticism could stir up the 250,000 Indo-Americans, many of whom are Hindus. It wouldn't be the only large New York voting block that his comments and actions have incensed.
Mamdani is also a staunch critic of Israel and supports the boycott divestment and sanctions movement against the Jewish State, even leading 'BDS!' chants at a 2021 pro-Palestinian rally.
Jewish civil rights groups such as the Anti-Defamation brand the BDS movement as antisemitic for seeking to undermine Israel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
WNY Jewish, Muslim communities react to conflict between Israel and Iran
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As the conflict continues to escalate and unfold between Israel and Iran, the Jewish and Muslim communities in Western New York are praying for their family and friends overseas. The lives of the citizens from both countries seemingly changed overnight as Israel launched a preemptive strike against Iran. Whether it's to see family, friends, or just to visit, the Jewish Community of Western New York has close ties to Israel and travels there often. Rabbi Mendy Labkowski, director of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life of Buffalo, tells WIVB News 4 that, in light of the renewed conflict, travel to the country has now been brought to a halt. 'Throughout the year, when you look at our congregation, there's at least one congregant at all times that are in Israel,' Labkowski said. 'Currently, right now, the entire Israeli airspace is closed. There are so many events that were planned over the next few weeks and, ultimately, all those flights are canceled. Whoever is in Israel is in Israel, and whoever is out of Israel is out of Israel.' Labkowski was born in Israel and has many family members that call the country the preemptive strike, he spoke to some of his family, including his uncle, who he says has already been called up from the reserves to join the army. 'My mother's entire family lives in Israel, and last night when this went on, just about before 10 o' clock, I called my uncle who is in reserves and he was called out, I was watching live on WhatsApp, as he was called out to go leave his family and go be called up for the army,' Labkowski said. 'That's a very, very tough thing.' Earlier this year, Labkowski was in Israel visiting his aunt. While there, he tells WIVB News 4 he got the opportunity to see their bunker where they're now sheltered in light of the conflict. 'My aunt just gave birth about three weeks ago, and watching her, calling her, they're sitting in the bunker,' Labkowski said. 'I was in Israel a few months ago and we slept near there, to actually see it in use, see her with her now four little children and husband, sitting in the bunker, is beyond freaky.' The fear of where this conflict could lead extends to the Iranian people as well. Dr. Khalid Qazi, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York, says that it's been hard for many in the Muslim community to reach their loved ones in the Islamic Republic. 'There are many members in the community that have family and friends in Iran,' Qazi said. 'They haven't been able to reach out to them in a timely manner at this time.' Now, with no end to the conflict in sight, Qazi says fear is mounting. 'Initially, there was a tremendous amount of shock,' Qazi said. 'But, now, there is more fear as to where it is going, what sort of escalations will take place.' Rob Petree is an anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in 2025. See more of his work by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Phoenix Indian Center holds annual Rainbow Gathering for Two Spirit LGBTQIA+ community
The Phoenix Indian center hosted its annual Southwest American Indian 2SLGBTQIA+ Rainbow Gathering on June 12, 2025, at South Mountain Community College. Photo by Shondiin Silversmith | Arizona Mirror In a time of uncertainty and continuous attacks on the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Arizona and beyond, the Phoenix Indian Center wanted to offer the community a safe space for individuals to share resources and stories that highlighted Indigenous experiences. 'Visibility is more important now than ever before,' said Levi Long, a communications specialist with the Phoenix Indian Center, due to the ongoing attacks on the rights of this community. For many Indigenous people, the acronym primarily used is 2SLGBTQIA+, which includes Two Spirit people. The term Two Spirit acknowledges the traditional roles and identities of Indigenous people who lived outside the binary of male and female within many Indigenous communities, and is an identity that predates the colonization of North America. Two Spirit Diné trans woman Trudie Jackson has been a prominent advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community for decades and is an Indigenous scholar with research and work that focuses on the Two Spirit community. When she placed the 2S before LGBTQIA+, she said she had people constantly trying to correct her. 'Two Spirit existed before colonization and the Stonewall Riot,' Jackson said. 'My ancestors were here before the colonizers.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX President Donald Trump's administration has pushed anti-2SLGBTQIA+ policies since he took office, including a rollback on health care services, implementing policies recognizing only two genders and banning trans people from the military and playing sports. In Arizona, several officials have pushed the same rhetoric by introducing and advancing a slate of anti-2SLGBTQIA+ bills, including a sweeping anti-trans 'biological sex' bill that Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed in April. At the Phoenix Indian Center, Long said that they are very intentional with centering Indigiqueer voices, especially in a time of uncertainty with the political landscape and the consistent challenges to their rights. He said he hopes that more organizations from the Indigenous community will step up for their 2SLGBTQIA+ relatives to let them know that there are safe spaces for them — and they're not going anywhere. The center hosted its annual Southwest American Indian 2SLGBTQIA+ Rainbow Gathering on June 12 at South Mountain Community College, providing a safe space for Indigenous people to share resources and stories. The theme for this year's Rainbow Gathering was 'Weaving Tradition: Past, Present and Future for Native People.' The Phoenix Indian Center is the oldest nonprofit organization serving the Indigenous community in the United States, offering a range of services including workforce development, peer support and youth development. Phoenix Indian Center CEO Jolyana Begay-Kroupa said the Rainbow Gathering is always rooted in Indigenous teachings of respect and a space that honors 2SLGBTQIA+ relatives as sacred healers, leaders and community caretakers. 'This gathering celebrates this diversity that weaves our Indigenous community together and makes us collectively stronger,' she said, adding that it's essential to look at the cultural teachings to guide the framework for a future that ensures all Indigenous people can thrive and have access to equitable lives. 'We gather here right now to find strength, to find solidarity and weave a stronger fabric so that we can hold on together,' Begay-Kroupa said. The gathering featured multiple speakers from the 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous community, who focused on topics related to Two Spirit health care, the history of Two Spirit people within Indigenous communities, body image, personal experiences and resources available. One experience shared during the event was by Charlie Amáyá Scott. She said she was 13 when she told her mother she is queer. She wrote it down on a note and slipped it into her mother's lunch bag. 'I was a scared little queer, and I was like: 'I'm queer. Love me, please,'' Scott said. 'Later that day, after I told her in a note, she told me that she loves me.' Scott, now 30, said she is proud to be her mother's oldest daughter. She was the keynote speaker for the Rainbow Gathering, and she shared with the crowd some of her life experiences as a queer, trans Diné woman and Indigenous scholar, emphasizing the importance of stories and storytelling. 'Through stories, we learn who we are, where we come from, and what we could be,' Scott added. 'We exist because of stories.' A story Scott shared reinvents the Diné creation story, going beyond the strict gender binary of the original creation narrative. 'First Woman noticed that all creatures had a choice about who they could be and who they could love,' Scott said. 'First Woman wanted this for her people, the Diné, too.' The story shares how the First Woman's gift to the Diné people was a choice, and that is how Scott would have written the creation story. Scott wrote that story over a year ago, and she said it was to share a creation story that included honoring queer, trans and intersex relatives, 'unlike the popularized versions that dictate a colonizing sex binary and heterosexuality.' Scott said she shared the story because she dreams of a better future, world and life. 'There's something very freeing when we rewrite our stories,' she said, because it provides people the ability to dream and imagine a world of possibility, liberation and freedom. 'A world that we write for ourselves and our cherished loved ones,' she added. 'Stories are not just stories, they are memories, they are lessons, they are guidance from generations before.' Scott said she has rewritten four traditional creation stories, including one about Spider Woman, who was responsible for teaching the Diné people how to weave. 'Our traditions are meant to evolve and change in time,' she said. 'To keep them static is to kill them off.' Scott said that Indigenous people are losing part of themselves if traditions do not evolve or change because they are 'meant to live and reflect who we are and where we're going.' 'What remains is the teaching, not the specificity,' she added. The Rainbow Gathering has been held in the Phoenix area since 2011. Jackson established the event and it is now hosted annually by the Phoenix Indian Center. During the gathering, Jackson shared her work on the state of Two Spirit health in North America, which later became a chapter in the book 'A History of Transgender Medicine in the United States.' The book features 40 contributors and Jackson is the only Indigenous author. Jackson talked about the impact of colonization on Two Spirit health, which includes stigma, self-confidence, self-worth, health, well-being, homophobia, transphobia and historical trauma. She said that is why, within Indigenous communities, health care workers and facilities must be inclusive of their intake assessments. Before she changed her name, Jackson said that she still remembers what it felt like when the hospital would call her by her birth name. She said she often contemplated what to do in the waiting room, wondering if she should get up. However, even after she changed her name, the stigma persisted. Jackson said that her doctor would anger her because they would go through her entire medical history pointing out that she was born male and is now passing as female. 'Our community is often viewed as less than,' she said. Jackson said it is vital for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to tell their stories and assert their importance within the cultural, ceremonial and spiritual traditions of their communities. 'Listening to these voices, we can create medical institutions that recognize and meet our unique healthcare needs,' she said. As part of the gathering, the Phoenix Indian Center presented two community awards, the Basket and Dream Catcher awards. Jackson said she created the awards to be Indigenous, reflecting the identity of Indigenous people. The Basket award is given to an individual or organization recognized as an ally of the Two Spirit community who has provided support for programming and services targeting the Two Spirit community in the southwest. Jackson said the basket reward reflects the time and work that goes into preparing and weaving a basket within many Native cultures. 'The intent was to identify an individual who went down the same journey as the basket by creating that weave within the community,' she added. The 2025 Basket Award was presented to Tara Begay, a Diné board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and co-owner of TL Family Nurse Practice, LLC in Phoenix. She is actively involved in Arizona's Rapid Start Initiative, which ensures access to HIV treatment upon diagnosis, according to the Phoenix Indian Center. 'Health care is a fundamental human right,' Begay said. Some of the services her practice provides include sick visits, physical exams, HIV prevention and management, gender affirming care and chronic care. The Dream Catcher award is presented to an Indigenous person who identifies as Two Spirit and has demonstrated a lifetime commitment and services to the Indigenous 2SLGBTQIA+ community in the southwest. 'We see you, we see your work, we see what you're doing out in the community,' Jackson said, adding that the Dream Catcher Award is similar to having a vision out in the community, they see something is needed and they go out and 'plant that seed. The 2025 Dream Catcher award was presented to Rita DeMornay, who is Akimel O'odham from the Gila River Indian Community, where she began her 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy journey. DeMornay currently serves as Miss Phoenix Pride 2025, she is the first Indigenous winner of the title since 2007. 'My journey has just begun, it is not over,' DeMornay said. 'I will continue to open these doors for our Native Two Spirit LGBTQIA+ community.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Only survivor of deadly Air India plane crash says survival was a 'miracle'
Viswashkumar Ramesh, the lone survivor from the flight that crashed shortly after taking off from the Indian city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, described his survival as a "miracle" while speaking to DD India. "I can't explain," he said. The Boeing 787-8 crash had been bound for London Gatwick Airport, Air India explained in a post on X, which noted that there were 242 people on the flight, but "241 confirmed fatalities." Air India Flight Bound For London Crashes, Airline Confirms 1 Survivor And 241 Fatalities Without naming him in the post, the airline noted that the individual who survived "is a British national of Indian origin." "When I got up, there were bodies all around me. I was scared," Ramesh told the Hindustan Times, according to the outlet. Read On The Fox News App Ramesh told DD News that he "saw people dying," reports indicate. Boeing Shares Slide After Air India Crash Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi met with Ramesh after the tragic crash. "Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones," the airline noted in its post on X. Reagan National Airport To Halt Flights For Trump-hosted Military Parade Next Week "Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad," Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a statement. "I have spoken with Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran to offer our full support, and a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau," he article source: Only survivor of deadly Air India plane crash says survival was a 'miracle'
