Why Zohran Mamdani’s visit to a Brooklyn mosque kicked up political storm in US – there’s a 1993 WTC bombing link

A seemingly ordinary photo shared by New York mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani during his visit to Masjid At-Taqwa has sparked a major controversy in the United States. The uproar is not over his visit itself, but over his photograph with a cleric alleged to have links to the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing.

Last week, the 34-year-old Indian-origin Democrat attended Friday prayers at the Brooklyn mosque, where he was photographed smiling and standing hand-in-hand with imam Siraj Wahhaj — an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 bombing that killed six people.

Mamdani posted the pictures on social media, describing Wahhaj as one of the country’s “foremost Muslim leaders” and a “pillar” of Brooklyn’s Muslim community, prompting a sharp backlash from Republicans, former President Donald Trump, and tech billionaire Elon Musk.

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

Reactions from President Trump, Elon Musk

Trump, a long-time critic of Mamdani, condemned the mayoral hopeful for associating with Wahhaj, who has previously drawn scrutiny for inflammatory and homophobic remarks.

“The Mamdani thing is… it’s a disaster waiting to happen. It’s a shame that this man is endorsing him and seems very friendly with him. You can see there’s a relationship. He blew up the World Trade Centre, right?” Trump said.

US Vice President JD Vance also took to X, urging Democrats to condemn Mamdani for campaigning with an “unindicted co-conspirator in a terrorist plot.”

Republican Representative Elise Stefanik called Mamdani a “jihadist” who was “openly campaigning with terrorists.”

Elon Musk reacted with a brief “wow” in response to the photo, adding to the growing wave of criticism. Musk, who recently became the first person worth USD 500 billion, has frequently taken digs at Mamdani, who has publicly said that billionaires should not exist.

Mamdani has not directly responded to the backlash but claimed he is being targeted because of his religion. “This is happening because of my faith and because I am close to winning this election,” he told reporters, according to the New York Post.

Who is Siraj Wahhaj?

The controversy has renewed attention on 75-year-old Siraj Wahhaj, imam of the Brooklyn mosque.

Although Wahhaj was never charged in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing, investigators said several of the accused had attended his mosque. He has denied involvement but has defended those behind the attack, once labelling the FBI and CIA as the “real terrorists.”

Wahhaj is believed to have close ties with Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the “Blind Sheikh,” who was convicted for masterminding the 1993 bombing plot. Wahhaj even testified in his defence, calling him a “bold, strong preacher of Islam.”

The imam has also sparked outrage for his hardline views, including railing against homosexuality, calling for the stoning of adulterers, and advocating polygamy.

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