Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, pledged on Friday to stand firm in his faith. He said recent attacks by Andrew Cuomo and his allies were racist and baseless.

Speaking outside a Bronx mosque, Mamdani became emotional and fought back tears. He recalled the hardships faced by Muslims in New York. He said his aunt stopped using the subway after the September 11 attacks because she feared being seen in a head covering.

Mamdani also remembered advice from his uncle when he first entered politics. He was told to keep his faith private.

“These are lessons that so many Muslim New Yorkers have been taught,” Mamdani said. “And over these last few days, these lessons have become the closing messages of Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa and Eric Adams.”

Cuomo Denies Islamophobia

Later on Friday, Cuomo held a news conference. He accused Mamdani of “playing the victim” for political gain. Cuomo denied that Islamophobia was widespread in New York.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has faced criticism for his comments on Israel’s actions against Palestinians in Gaza. Cuomo has stepped up attacks, and Democrats say he is leaning into Islamophobia as the election nears.

On Thursday, Cuomo laughed at a radio host’s joke suggesting Mamdani would “be cheering” another 9/11 attack. “That’s another problem,” Cuomo said, according to AP.

Cuomo’s social media also posted a video mocking Mamdani for eating rice with his hands and calling his supporters criminals. The campaign later deleted the video, claiming it was a mistake.

Adams and Sliwa Join Attacks

At an event endorsing Cuomo, Mayor Eric Adams raised fears of terrorism under Mamdani.

“New York can’t be Europe. I don’t know what is wrong with people,” Adams said. “You see what’s playing out in other countries because of Islamic extremism.”

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa falsely accused Mamdani of supporting “global jihad” in a debate.

When asked about Rosenberg’s remarks, Cuomo said, “I didn’t take the remarks seriously at the time.” He added, “Of course, I think it’s an offensive comment. But it did not come out of my mouth.”

Campaigns of Adams and Sliwa did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

‘No More Hiding’

In his speech, Mamdani aimed at Muslim New Yorkers. He said his goal was equality. “The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker,” he said. “And yet for too long we have been told to ask for less than that, and to be satisfied with whatever little we receive. No more.”

Mamdani said he initially avoided highlighting his faith to keep the campaign focused. But he changed his mind after recent attacks.

“I thought that if I behaved well enough, or bit my tongue enough in the face of racist, baseless attacks, all while returning back to my central message, it would allow me to be more than just my faith,” he said. “I was wrong. No amount of redirection is ever enough.”

He added, “I will not change who I am, how I eat, or the faith that I’m proud to call my own. But there is one thing that I will change. I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light.”

Cuomo Faces Backlash

Mamdani won the Democratic primary by a large margin but has faced skepticism in the party, especially for his Israel stance. On Friday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed him.

Cuomo told reporters that Mamdani’s criticism of Israel scared Jewish residents. He also dismissed Mamdani’s claim that Muslim New Yorkers felt unsafe.

“Don’t tell me New Yorkers are Islamophobic. They’re not,” Cuomo said. “What he is doing is the oldest, dirtiest political trick in the book: divide people.”