Is New York City on the brink of a socialist takeover with Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic mayoral candidate, at the helm of a meticulously crafted political machine?
Backed by a sprawling network of activist groups, significant financial support from billionaire philanthropies, and controversial clerical endorsements, Mamdani’s journey from student organizer to potential mayor reveals a calculated push to blend socialist and Islamist agendas into mainstream politics, as Fox News reports.
The story begins in 2017, when a photo surfaced on a campaign Facebook page showing Mamdani alongside Palestinian American activist Linda Sarsour, volunteering for Khader El-Yateem’s failed bid for New York City Council in Brooklyn’s District 43.
That 2017 moment wasn’t just a snapshot; it marked the launch of a political project that, within a decade, positioned Mamdani as a serious contender for mayor.
Even as far back as 2012, Mamdani was laying groundwork, co-founding a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine at Bowdoin College in Maine, a group often tied to anti-Israel activism.
By 2018, under Sarsour’s guidance, he joined the Muslim Democratic Club of New York, a platform she co-founded in 2013 to mobilize progressive voters, and soon after, he landed a board position.
Fast forward to 2020, and Mamdani clinched a seat in the New York State Assembly, bolstered by Sarsour’s endorsement and fundraising muscle through events like the #MyMuslimVote summit hosted by her organization, MPower Change.
Behind the scenes, a database reveals 110 groups supporting Mamdani, including 76 Democratic Party affiliates, unions, and a tight inner circle of 30 ethnic and religious organizations with combined annual revenues of about $24 million.
These groups, such as CAIR Action and Emgage, aren’t just cheering from the sidelines; they’re actively endorsing, fundraising, and canvassing, with financial heft from billionaire George Soros’ Open Society philanthropies, which funneled nearly $2.5 million to MPower and Emgage in recent years via tax filings.
Yet, the money trail is only part of the concern; Mamdani’s associations with certain religious leaders spark deeper questions about his platform.
In early 2025, he visited Imam Muhammad Al-Barr of the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge, mere months after Al-Barr publicly prayed to “annihilate” Israel, a stance that clashes with many New Yorkers’ values of coexistence.
Later in 2025, Mamdani met with Imam Siraj Wahhaj of Brooklyn’s Masjid At-Taqwa, describing him as “one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders” on social media, despite Wahhaj’s history of inflammatory remarks about using politics as a “weapon” for ideological causes (Zohran Mamdani).
Critics like Dalia Al-Aqidi aren’t buying the narrative of a spontaneous rise, arguing, “Mamdani’s ascent is the product of deliberate design: a sophisticated collaboration between socialist activism and Islamist organizing, lubricated by millions in foundation grants” (Dalia Al-Aqidi).
While Mamdani’s supporters may see him as a fresh voice for underrepresented communities, the orchestrated nature of his campaign—complete with PAC money and a decade-long activist ecosystem—suggests a deeper agenda that could prioritize ideological battles over pragmatic governance. Isn’t it curious how a “grassroots” candidate seems so polished by design?
As the mayoral race heats up, with Mamdani debating opponents on October 16, 2025, New Yorkers must weigh whether his network’s vision aligns with the city’s diverse, practical needs—or if it’s just a well-funded experiment in radical politics.
