Zahran Mamdani Biography: The Young Muslim Who Became New York City Mayor
Mamdani was born in 1992 in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. His family later immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City.
His father,Mahmoud Mamdani,is a distinguished professor of political science and sociology at Columbia University. His mother,May-Jane Kobeniundo,is an active women’s rights advocate in East Africa.
Mamdani completed his university studies in political science at Bowdoin College in Maine. During his college years, he became involved in social justice initiatives.
He began his formal political career in 2019 when he ran as a Democratic candidate for the New York State Assembly.
In the 2020 election, Mamdani defeated the incumbent representative and won a seat representing New york’s 36th District, covering Astoria and parts of Queens.
From early on, he gained recognition for his socialist and grassroots approach. Alongside figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he quickly became one of the leading voices among New York’s Democratic Socialists of America.
Mamdani’s core platform focuses on economic justice, affordable housing, public transportation reform, and combating racial and class discrimination.
He consistently emphasizes that local goverment must make life easier for working-class communities and views politics as a tool to improve everyday living conditions for ordinary people.
During his tenure in the state assembly, Mamdani introduced legislation aimed at increasing public housing budgets, lowering urban transportation costs, and improving access to healthcare and education services.
In New York City’s mayoral election on November 4th, 2025 (Halloween Day), Zahran Mamdani emerged victorious over former Governor Andrew Cuomo to become New York’s new mayor.
This win took place amid widespread public dissatisfaction with high living costs. It was seen as a triumph for the left wing within the Democratic Party.
Mamdani campaigned under the slogan “A city we can live in,” promising structural reforms to reduce housing expenses and also costs related to education and childcare for residents.
zahran Mamdani currently resides in Astoria. he enjoys hip-hop music and socially conscious cinema. In interviews he has repeatedly stated that “politics must be a voice for ordinary people-not big corporations.”
Mamdani’s Positions on Iran and Israel
The American newspaper The New York Post reported that mamdani sharply criticized U.S. airstrikes against iranian nuclear facilities. He described them as “illegal military actions marking a new chapter of international instability.”
In his view, U.S. policy toward Iran-including using force without congressional approval-represents “a breach of trust” prioritizing military spending over social justice.
Mamdani has also taken strong critical stances against Israel’s regime.He accuses Israel of enforcing apartheid policies across occupied Palestinian territories.
The newly elected mayor supports economic and cultural sanctions against Israel based on principles aligned with international law advocacy movements endorsed by some human rights organizations worldwide.
The British newspaper The Guardian described Mamdani-a practicing Muslim-as considering Israeli actions in Gaza amounting to genocide.
The American publication Politico noted that while critical of Israel’s policies broadly speaking; Mamdani has refrained from explicitly rejecting Israel’s identity as a Jewish state during political discourse or debates.'</Politico wrote: 'Mamdani avoided taking an outright stance denying Israel its status as a Jewish regime.'
