New York City’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, criticized an anti-Muslim protest outside Gracie Mansion but did not mention the suspects or their alleged ISIS links in his first statement about the attack.
An anti-Islam protest led by Jake Lang, who has described himself as a “January 6 political prisoner,” drew counter-protesters outside Gracie Mansion. During the demonstration, authorities said at least one device was ignited. Two suspects, identified by authorities as Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested on the scene in connection with the incident. Police revealed the device was an improvised explosive device consisting of a sports drink bottle filled with volatile explosive material known as TATP, placed inside a glass jar and surrounded by nuts and bolts.
The New York Post reported that law enforcement sources said Balat used the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar” after his police interview. During a brief appearance before reporters, he flashed the single-finger gesture associated with ISIS.
Balat and Kayumi both come from families of legal immigrants who later became U.S. citizens. Balat’s parents are Turkish migrants who obtained citizenship in 2017, while Kayumi’s parents are Afghan legal migrants who became U.S. citizens between 2004 and 2009.
Mamdani first addressed the incident on Sunday: “
Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism. Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are.
What followed was even more disturbing. Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.
I want to thank the brave men and women of the NYPD who acted quickly to keep New Yorkers safe. Our officers ran toward danger without hesitation, demonstrating once again the courage and dedication it takes to protect this city every single day.
My administration is closely monitoring the situation and I remain in close contact with our Police Commissioner.
The following day, Mamdani issued another statement:
Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi have been charged with committing a heinous act of terrorism and proclaiming their allegiance to ISIS.
They should be held fully accountable for their actions.
We will continue to keep New Yorkers safe. We will not tolerate terrorism or violence in our city.
Mamdani’s lack of condemnation of radical Islam comes as his November mayoral victory drew celebration from Muslim advocacy groups and political figures. Pakistani-born lawyer and commentator Qasim Rashid celebrated the outcome by declaring that “America’s Mayor is an American Muslim Immigrant.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations similarly said Mamdani’s victory represented a “historic turning point for American Muslim political engagement” and characterized the result as a “historic rebuke of both Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism in politics.”
In recent weeks, Mamdani defended his wife, Syrian-American artist Rama Duwaji, after reports circulated that she had liked social media posts celebrating the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. According to Jewish Insider, the posts included stills from participants’ livestreamed footage of the attack showing a bulldozer used to breach the barrier separating Israel from Gaza and attackers riding on a captured Israeli military vehicle, alongside slogan,s including “Breaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation,” “Resisting apartheid since 1948,” and “Systemic change for collective liberation.”
The attack killed roughly 1,200 Israelis and foreign workers and involved kidnappings and reports of sexual violence against victims. Asked about the report, Mamdani said, “My wife is the love of my life and she’s also a private person who has held no formal position on my campaign or in my City Hall.”
Last month, Mamdani invoked Islam’s concept of hijrah while announcing a sanctuary-related executive order at his first Interfaith Breakfast at the New York Public Library. During the event, he accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of “visit[ing] terror upon our neighbors” and said ICE “will not be able to enter New York City property without a judicial warrant,” citing schools, shelters, and hospitals. Mamdani then stated, “I consider my own faith, Islam, a religion built upon a narrative of migration,” adding that “the story of the hijrah reminds us that Prophet Muhammad was a stranger too, who fled Mecca and was welcomed in Medina.” He also cited Surah An-Nahl 16:42 and said, “If faith offers us the moral compass to stand alongside the stranger, government can provide the resources.”
