During a Ramadan event at a mosque in Staten Island, Mayor Zohran Mamdani was introduced by a community organizer known for his anti-Israel sentiments and history of using provocative language. The organizer, Abdullah Akl, who is the co-director of public affairs and civic engagement at the Muslim American Society of New York, welcomed the mayor at the event on March 4, as reported by the Washington Free Beacon.
A video obtained by the outlet captured Akl expressing his excitement about introducing the new mayor of New York City, Mayor Mamdani, on stage at the mosque. Akl has been under scrutiny for making incendiary statements following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, as revealed by his social media activity and monitoring by watchdog groups.
In a video from a protest in spring 2024, Akl can be heard chanting “Strike, strike Tel Aviv, Abu Obeida, our beloved,” in reference to a Hamas military spokesperson killed during the Gaza conflict. The group Canary Mission, which tracks anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments, also highlighted this chant.
During an anti-Israel protest in November 2023, Akl led chants of “globalize the intifada,” and in December 2023 at a MAS convention, he called for a free Palestine "from the river to sea," a phrase seen by some as advocating for Israel's destruction.
Mayor Mamdani, speaking at the MAS mosque, expressed his gratitude for being present with the community as the first Muslim mayor in New York City's history, as per video footage cited by the Free Beacon. The mayor's office did not respond to requests for comment, and efforts to contact Akl were unsuccessful.
Mamdani has distanced himself from the phrase "globalize the intifada," stating he discourages its use among protesters and does not use it himself. Criticism has been directed at the mayor for his connections with individuals from the pro-Palestinian movement, including figures like Linda Sarsour and Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate targeted for deportation by the Trump administration.
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