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New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
DSA leaders tapping into Mandani's popularity to push ‘abolition' of traditional family
Zohran Mamdani's twisted comrades at the Democratic Socialists of America pushed for the 'abolition' of the traditional family at their annual conference, called marriage and sex work 'two sides of the same coin' and proclaimed abortions should be done in churches. Panelists at the 'Socialism 2025' conference last month in Chicago did victory laps over Mamdani's June win in the Democratic primary for NYC mayor, repeatedly touting his lefty agenda over the four-day commie-fest, video of the event shows. Speakers at 'The Left and the Family' seminar ignored the Uganda-born Mamdani's ultra-privileged upbringing by his Hollywood-director mom and radical Columbia University dad, all while parroting central tenets of Marxist ideology to the audience — that the nuclear family is inherently repressive, racist, sexist and promotes capitalism. Advertisement 'In addition to the abolition of family policing [government-run child protective services], we argue for abolition of the family in general and say that the institution of the family acts as part of the carceral system in that it reinforces children as property,' said panelist Olivia Katbi, co-chair of the DSA in Portland, Ore. 5 Zohran Mamdani's comrades rallied for an end of the traditional family at an annual conference — with twisted members of the Democratic Socialists of America calling marriage and sex work 'two sides of the same coin.' William C Lopez/New York Post Eman Abdelhadi, another panelist who is also an assistant professor at University of Chicago's Department of Comparative Human Development, said many fellow lefties are 'surprised at how few people are ready for revolt.' Advertisement 5 (Left to Right) Eman Abdelhadi, a University of Chicago assistant professor; Brooklyn writer Emily Janakiram; and Portland DSA co-chair Olivia Katbi speaking at the 'Socialism 2025' conference in Chicago last month. Democratic Socialists of America 'When we talk about family abolition…we're talking about the abolition of the economic unit,' she said. 'It is a horizon … in which all of our material needs are taken care of by the collective.' Abbelhadi is also the co-author of a 2022 fictional book 'Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052-2072' that offers a utopian vision of a future Big Apple thriving on socialism following the collapse of capitalism in the 2050s. 5 NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mandami (center) celebrates winning Democratic primary in June with (left to right0 mother Mira Nair, wife Rama Duwaji and father Mahmood Mamdani. Getty Images Advertisement Emily Janakiram, a Brooklyn-based writer and organizer for New York City for Abortion Rights, spent much of her time on the panel ripping the sanctity of marriage – a bedrock Marxist belief — while failing to mention Mamdani, 33, recently celebrated his wedding to artist Rama Duwaii, 27, with a lavish, three-day affair at his family's ritzy, secluded Ugandan compound. 'The only real difference between marriage and prostitution is the price and the duration of the contract,' barked Janakiram, who admitted once marrying to score a woman a green card. 'Sex work and marriage can't exist without each other — they're two sides of the same coin,' she claimed. 5 Portland DSA co-chair Olivia Katbi and Katie Gibson, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago, speaking at 'Socialism 2025' conference. Democratic Socialists of America Advertisement The panel — all of whom wore COVID masks and practicing social distancing — included Katie Gibson, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago. The group took questions from the audience, including one man who bizarrely boasted he wanted to perform abortions in the House of God. 'I'm also a Baptist minister, and on that revolutionary horizon, I want to perform abortions at a church before it's all said and done,' said the man, who identified himself as a DSA member from Austin, TX, named 'Steve.' Members of the panel nodded their heads in agreement as he spoke. 5 Members of the Uganda Special Forces Command monitor gate movement at the Mamdani family home in Buziga on July 24 during a gala bash celebrating Zohran Mamdani's February marriage to Rama Duwaii. The elite unit is routinely tasked with conducting high-stakes missions — not offering security for parties. New York Post Stu Smith, an investigative analyst with the Manhattan Institute, said Mamdani's Democratic primary win had DSA members feeling so cocky at the conference that many think they can 'burn the whole house down.' 'I think they're drunk on the aspect that they might actually get to be in power of the greatest city on earth,' he told The Post. 'They think they've already won, and they're completely willing to say whatever they want to say now. I think a lot of them are emboldened.' Smith also said the DSA's anti-family message at the conference runs counter to Mamdani's lavish lifestyle. Advertisement 'He's a nepo baby from a traditional family — but then he wants to distribute the wealth while also just having a luxury wedding,' said Smith, who shared video of the seminar on X. 'It's just another example of him being a massive hypocrite. Mamdani's campaign did not return messages. Councilman Robert Holden, a moderate Queens Democrat, said the panelists' remarks should serve as a warning to all NYC residents of the threat Mamdani poses to traditional American values. 'Zohran Mamdani and his allies in the DSA are openly laying out their radical 'Project DSA 2026' agenda for state-run families, indoctrinating our children, and dismantling the very fabric of our society,' he said. 'This is exactly why we must defeat Mamdani and ensure he never gets anywhere near Gracie Mansion or City Hall.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
New York City Mayoral election: Former Governor slams Zohran Mamdani for his property in 'anti-LGBT' Uganda; Andrew Cuomo says 'silence is violence'
The New York City mayoral contest took a sharp turn when independent candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo criticised socialist contender Zohran Mamdani regarding his property ownership in Uganda, a country known for its anti-LGBT stance. On Tuesday, Cuomo posted on X: "The no-show assemblyman missed this interview while vacationing at his parents' compound in Uganda, a country that murders LGBTQIA+ people. Silence is violence. I hereby call on you to Boycott, Divest, and Sanction your property in Uganda and commit to stop spending tourism dollars there until they overturn their hateful, discriminatory laws which violate basic human rights." Uganda-born Mamdani has received scrutiny for spending late June at his family's compound in Uganda. The New York Post reported that his wedding celebration there was protected by armed security personnel. Cuomo also called him the chameleon assemblyman and said, "irst you were defund the police, now defund is 'out of step' with your current view. Meanwhile, the DSA is bragging around town that they own you and their position is as clear as day… defund the police all the way to 0. Do you believe anything? Or will you just say whatever it takes?" Curtis Sliwa, a Republican opponent, pointed out the inconsistency in Mamdani's stance of advocating police defunding for New York residents while utilising extensive security during his overseas wedding. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Donating Sperm May Boost Your Income SpellRock Undo by Taboola by Taboola Cuomo's statement referenced Mamdani's ongoing support for BDS and sanctions against Israel, positions he has maintained since university. The Mamdani campaign was contacted by Fox News Digital for response. Uganda's stance against LGBT individuals has been consistent, with its Constitutional Court recently upholding legislation that permits capital punishment for "aggravated homosexuality." Mamdani's campaign website addresses LGBT issues: "Queer and trans people across the United States are facing an increasingly hostile political environment. New York City must be a refuge for LGBTQIA+ people, but private institutions in our own city have already started capitulating to Trump's assault on trans rights. Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis confronting working class people across the city hits the LGBTQIA+ community particularly hard, with higher rates of unemployment and homelessness than the rest of the city. The Mamdani administration will protect LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers by expanding and protecting gender-affirming care citywide, making NYC an LGBTQIA+ sanctuary city, and creating the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs. "
NDTV
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"Armed Guards, Phone Jammers": Inside Zohran Mamdani's Lavish Uganda Wedding Bash
Kampala: New York's Indian-origin mayoral frontrunner, Zohran Mamdani, reportedly celebrated his recent marriage to artist and animator Rama Duwaji with a three-day lavish bash at his family's sprawling compound in Uganda. The celebrations held at the sprawling Mamdani family estate in the upscale Buziga Hill neighbourhood outside Kampala were a heavily fortified affair, complete with armed military-style guards in masks, a phone-jamming system, and multiple security gates, according to a report by the New York Post. Uganda-born 33-year-old Mamdani had eloped with Duwaji, 27, in February. On Sunday, he informed his social media followers that he was heading to his homeland to celebrate his nuptials with filmmaker mother, Mira Nair, and professor father, Mahmood Mamdani, who own the property in one of Uganda's richest neighborhood-- home to billionaire businessmen like Godfrey Kirumira, who have stakes in real estate, tourism, petroleum and infrastructure. Inside Mamdani's Mega Celebrations Per the post report, the heavily guarded Mamdani estate was transformed into a party pad for the festivities, with Christmas lights strung through the canopy of trees in the garden and music blaring. Luxury buses and cars like Mercedes and a Range Rover were seen driving to the compound on Tuesday, the report cited sources as saying. "Outside the Mamdani house were more than 20 special forces command unit guards, some in masks, and there was a phone-jamming system set up - and all for the strictly invite-only Mamdani gate had around nine guards stationed at it," one witness told The Post. On Thursday, revellers reportedly danced to music from a local DJ while enjoying fruit juices, a typical addition for Indian-style events. The New York mayoral nominee reportedly addressed his guests later in the evening, with the party ending after midnight. "Then on Friday, inside the compound, there were military style tents being taken down when the party had what looked like Mamdani's personal security guards took over at the gates," they added. Per the Post report, houses neighbouring the Mamdani estate--that sits on two acres of lush gardens and a panoramic view of Lake Victoria-- can easily fetch more than $1 million. Mamdani's wealthy parents, 67-year-old Nair and her 78-year-old anti-Israel political theorist husband, live on the property in Uganda where the Democrat was born, but also split their time between New York and New Delhi. Kampala-native Mamdani moved to New York when he was 7 and became a US citizen in 2018. He met his Duwaji at a dating app, Hinge, and announced his marriage earlier this year. The pair now share a rent-stabilised apartment in Astoria. Outrage Over Celebrations As the Mamdani family celebrated their son's wedding, their neighbours were in mourning for former Ugandan Supreme Court Judge George Kanyeihamba, a neighbour who died on July 14. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni came to the area to pay his respects to Kanyeihamba, and "the street was blocked by the president's cars," according to a local. It's unclear if Museveni also attended Mamdani's party. Given the sensitivity of the situation, some locals called Mamdani's wedding bash "insensitive." "Because of the culture here, it was insensitive to have a wedding celebration in the same week as mourning - or 'Okukungubaga' - as it's called are still in mourning," one local said, pointing in the direction of Kanyeihamba's house, about three minutes away from the Mamdani property. "He has not even been buried, and we have his friends coming to give last words and to mourn before the burial next week, yet Mamdani is celebrating his wedding for three days," they added. However, the Mamdani property is isolated enough that some locals weren't even aware of the three-day wedding extravaganza.
Politico
27-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
These Voters Were Overlooked. Then They Helped Mamdani Win.
Nor does having a South Asian candidate guarantee support from South Asian voters. Some Indian American groups in the greater New York region opposed Mamdani, running ads on trucks and airplane banners claiming the mayoral candidate had an 'extremist agenda and history of hateful rhetoric' — a reflection of rising Hindu nationalism in India. And, as the writer Yashica Dutta reported before the primary, some South Asians did not seem to be on board with, or even know, the Uganda-born Mamdani, the son of a Muslim father and a Hindu mother. Even so, in June, as primary voting maps show, those same South Asian areas in Queens and Brooklyn that had lost Democratic support and shifted towards Trump in 2024 went decisively for Mamdani. According to an internal analysis of voting data shared with POLITICO Magazine by a political strategist who was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media, South Asian turnout increased by 12 percent between the 2021 mayoral primary and this year's race in 13 assembly districts with a significant share of South Asians. This increase was driven primarily by Bangladeshis and to a lesser extent, Pakistanis — mainly in Queens and Brooklyn. First-time voters over 45 years old increased by over 6 percent across these 13 districts. The lion's share of this increased South Asian vote went to Mamdani, despite the gross imbalance in campaign funding between him and Cuomo and the latter's dynastic bona fides. A November 2024 video Mamdani posted on social media contains clues about how Mamdani went from polling at 1 percent shortly after launching his campaign to comfortably winning the primary. In it, Mamdani did interviews with Trump voters, many of whom appeared to be working-class South Asians, asking them why they voted for Trump and what it would take for them to switch back to the Democratic Party. Then he told them about his campaign. The video captures the mix of tactics that may have led to Mamdani's ultimate success: He went directly to these voters, asked them what they needed, and told them he could deliver it. He then made what he heard — in particular, concerns about affordability — the heart of his campaign, amplifying it consistently through savvy social media videos in South Asian languages and an aggressive field campaign staffed with South Asian faces. Conventional wisdom has dictated that targeting 'triple prime voters'— those who have voted in at least three previous primaries — is the winning electoral strategy. But Mamdani's campaign decided to target 'low propensity' voters — those who have been disconnected from electoral politics. 'He went after them full throttle and it paid off rather handsomely,' said Lange.
NBC News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Calls to strip Zohran Mamdani's citizenship spark alarm about Trump weaponizing denaturalization
WASHINGTON — Immediately after Zohran Mamdani became the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City last month, one Republican congressman had a provocative suggestion for the Trump administration: 'He needs to be DEPORTED.' The Uganda-born Mamdani obtained U.S. citizenship in 2018 after moving to the United States with his parents as a child. But Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., argued in his post on X that the Justice Department should consider revoking it over rap lyrics that, he said, suggested support for Hamas. The Justice Department declined to comment on whether it has replied to Ogles' letter, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said of his claims about Mamdani, 'Surely if they are true, it's something that should be investigated.' Trump himself has claimed without evidence that Mamdani is an illegal immigrant, and when erstwhile ally Elon Musk was asked about deporting another naturalized citizen, he suggested he would consider it. The congressman's proposal dovetails with a priority of the Trump administration to ramp up efforts to strip citizenship from other naturalized Americans. The process, known as denaturalization, has been used by previous administrations to remove terrorists and, decades ago, Nazis and communists. But the Trump DOJ's announcement last month that it would 'prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings' has sparked alarm among immigration lawyers and advocates, who fear the Trump administration could use denaturalization to target political opponents. Although past administrations have periodically pursued denaturalization cases, it is an area ripe for abuse, according to Elizabeth Taufa, a lawyer at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. 'It can be very easily weaponized at any point,' she said. Noor Zafar, an immigration lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union, said there is a 'real risk and a real threat' that the administration will target people based on their political views. Asked for comment on the weaponization concerns, a Justice Department spokesperson pointed to the federal law that authorizes denaturalizations, 8 U.S.C. 1451. 'We are upholding our duty as expressed in the statute,' the spokesperson said. Immigrant groups and political opponents of Trump are already outraged at the way the Trump administration has used its enforcement powers to stifle dissent in cases involving legal immigrants who do not have U.S. citizenship. ICE detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist engaged in campus protests critical of Israel, for more than 100 days before he was released. Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk was also detained for two months over her pro-Palestinian advocacy. More broadly, the administration has been accused of violating the due process rights of immigrants it has sought to rapidly deport over the objection of judges and, in cases involving alleged Venezuelan gang members and Salvadoran man Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Supreme Court. Denaturalization cases have traditionally been rare and in past decades focused on ferreting out former Nazis who fled to the United States after World War II under false pretenses. But the approach gradually changed after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Aided by technological advances that made it easier to identify people and track them down, the number of denaturalization cases has gradually increased. It was the Obama administration that initially seized on the issue, launching what was called Operation Janus, which identified more than 300,000 cases where there were discrepancies involving fingerprint data that could indicate potential fraud. But the process is slow and requires considerable resources, with the first denaturalization as a result of Operation Janus secured during Trump's first term in January 2018. That case involved Baljinder Singh, originally from India, who had been subject to deportation but later became a U.S. citizen after assuming a different identity. In total, the first Trump administration filed 102 denaturalization cases, with the Biden administration filing 24, according to the Justice Department spokesperson, who said figures for the Obama administration were not available. The new Trump administration has already filed five. So far, the Trump administration has prevailed in one case involving a man originally from the United Kingdom who had previously been convicted of receiving and distributing child pornography. The Justice Department declined to provide information about the other new cases. Overall, denaturalization cases are brought against just a tiny proportion of the roughly 800,00 people who become naturalized citizens each year, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 'Willful misrepresentation' The government has two ways to revoke citizenship, either through a rare criminal prosecution for fraud or via a civil claim in federal court. The administration outlined its priorities for civil enforcement in a June memo issued by Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, which listed 10 potential grounds for targeting naturalized citizens. Examples range from 'individuals who pose a risk to national security' or who have engaged in war crimes or torture, to people who have committed Medicaid or Medicare fraud or have otherwise defrauded the government. There is also a broad catch-all provision that refers to 'any other cases ... that the division determines to be sufficiently important to pursue.' The denaturalization law focuses on 'concealment of a material fact' or 'willful misrepresentation' during the naturalization proceeding. The ACLU's Zafar said the memo leaves open the option for the Trump administration to at least try to target people based on their speech or associations. 'Even if they don't think they really have a plausible chance of succeeding, they can use it as a means to just harass people,' she added. The Justice Department can bring denaturalization cases over a wide range of conduct related to the questions applicants for U.S. citizenship are asked, including the requirement that they have been of 'good moral character' in the preceding five years. Immigration law includes several examples of what might disqualify someone on moral character grounds, including if they are a 'habitual drunkard' or have been convicted of illegal gambling. The naturalization application form itself asks a series of questions probing good moral character, such as whether the applicant has been involved in violent acts, including terrorism. The form also queries whether people have advocated in support of groups that support communism, 'the establishment in the United States of a totalitarian dictatorship' or the 'unlawful assaulting or killing' of any U.S. official. Failure to accurately answer any of the questions or the omission of any relevant information can be grounds for citizenship to be revoked. In 2015, for example, Sammy Chang, a native of South Korea who had recently become a U.S. citizen, had his citizenship revoked in the wake of his conviction in a criminal case of trafficking women to work at a club he owned. The government said that because Chang had been engaged in the scheme during the time he was applying for naturalization, he had failed to show good moral character. But in both civil and criminal cases, the government has to reach a high bar to revoke citizenship. Among other things, it has to show that any misstatement or omission in a naturalization application was material to whether citizenship would have been granted. In civil cases, the government has to show 'clear, convincing, and unequivocal evidence which does not leave the issue in doubt' in order to prevail. 'A simple game of gotcha with naturalization applicants isn't going to work,' said Jeremy McKinney, a North Carolina-based immigration lawyer. 'It's going to require significant materiality for a judge to strip someone of their United States citizenship.' Targeting rap lyrics In his June 26 tweet, Ogles attached a letter he sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi asking her to consider pursuing Mamdani's denaturalization, in part, because he 'expressed open solidarity with individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses prior to becoming a U.S. citizen.' Ogles cited rap lyrics that Mamdani wrote years ago in which he expressed support for the 'Holy Land Five.' That appears to be a reference to five men involved in a U.S.-based Muslim charitable group called the Holy Land Foundation who were convicted in 2008 of providing material support to the Palestinian group Hamas. Some activists say the prosecution was a miscarriage of justice fueled by anti-Muslim sentiment following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Ogles' office and Mamdani's campaign did not respond to requests seeking comment. Speaking on Newsmax in June, Ogles expanded on his reasons for revoking Mamdani's citizenship, suggesting the mayoral candidate had 'failed to disclose' relevant information when he became a citizen, including his political associations. Ogles has alleged Mamdani is a communist because of his identification as a democratic socialist, although the latter is not a communist group. The Trump administration, Ogles added, could use a case against Mamdani to 'create a template for other individuals who come to this country' who, he claimed, 'want to undermine our way of life.' (Even if Mamdani were denaturalized, he would not, contrary to Ogles' claim, automatically face deportation, as he would most likely revert his previous status as a permanent resident.) In an appearance on NBC's ' Meet the Press' on June 29, Mamdani said calls for him to be stripped of his citizenship and deported are 'a glimpse into what life is like for many Muslim New Yorkers and many New Yorkers of different faiths who are constantly being told they don't belong in this city and this country that they love.' Targeting Mamdani for his rap lyrics would constitute a very unusual denaturalization case, said Taufa, the immigration lawyer. But, she added, 'they can trump up a reason to denaturalize someone if they want to.' McKinney, a former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the relatively low number of denaturalization cases that are filed, including those taken up during Trump's first term, shows how difficult it is for the government to actually strip people of their citizenship. 'But what they can be very successful at is continuing to create a climate of panic and anxiety and fear,' he added. 'They're doing that very well. So, mission accomplished in that regard.'
