New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Faces Backlash Over Wife’s Past Work Linked to Palestine New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has become embroiled in a political controversy after his wife, Rama Duwaji, drew criticism for her past illustration work connected to Palestinian activist Abulhawa. The situation has sparked mixed reactions, with some of Mamdani’s supporters accusing him of undermining his own stance on anti-Israel rhetoric by distancing himself from Duwaji’s past associations. The controversy began when conservative outlet the Washington Free Beacon reported that Duwaji, a freelance illustrator, had contributed to an essay compiled by Abulhawa as part of a collection titled “Every Moment is a Life.” The piece, later clarified by Abulhawa, was a short story by a Gazan resident displaced during Israel’s war, detailing the hardships of using makeshift public restrooms. Duwaji confirmed she was commissioned by a third party and had no direct contact with Abulhawa. Mamdani, who has previously condemned Abulhawa’s social media posts as “abhorrent,” faced backlash from supporters who argued his response risks reinforcing harmful narratives linking Palestinian advocacy with anti-Jewish sentiment. Critics pointed out that Abulhawa’s statements, which include references to “Jewish supremacist slaughter” and calls for retribution against Israel, have been rejected by her as personal expressions of grief over the war’s toll on Palestinians. She has described the conflict as a “genocide” and emphasized her commitment to speaking for those unable to defend themselves against state violence. Mamdani’s public denunciation of Abulhawa’s rhetoric, while distancing himself from Duwaji’s past work, has drawn sharp criticism from activists and commentators.#new_york_city #zohran_mamdani #rama_duwaji #abulhawa #tommy_tuberville
Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Council Member Zohran Mamdani, posted content on social media in her early adulthood that praised Palestinian terrorists, including Khaled, a member of the PFLP, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. Duwaji, who is of Syrian descent, shared posts celebrating acts of violence against Israelis and expressed support for groups like Hamas. One post included a caption stating, "If it does good for my cause, I'll be happy to accept death," referencing Khaled’s role in plane hijackings in 1969 and 1970. Khaled, who later became a revered figure in Palestinian society, threatened to detonate a grenade during one hijacking and is considered a "martyr" in Palestinian communities. Duwaji, who was in her late teens and early 20s when she posted much of the content, lived in the Middle East during that time. She spent her early childhood in New Jersey before moving to Dubai in 2006. Her education included time at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, which she later transferred to the Richmond campus. The posts she shared often included inflammatory rhetoric, such as a 2017 image of a Bangladeshi postage stamp reading, "We salute the valiant freedom fighters of Palestine," and a 2015 Tumblr post condemning U.S. military actions, which claimed American soldiers were "mercilessly slaughtering 3rd world civilians" and fighting to maintain "American hegemony." Duwaji also reposted content linking white people to the creation of al Qaeda, quoting a user who wrote, "You can't blame muslims for terrorism because they didn't construct, fund nor train Al-Qaeda. White People did that too." In a 2013 post, she used the N-word in a comment on X, stating, "@_AlyaF Helllll yeah, nigga. Super duper genius* excuse you," at age 15.#zohran_mamdani #rama_duwaji #pflp #hamas #khaled
Zohran Mamdani’s wife liked social media posts celebrating Oct. 7 attacks New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spent his mayoral campaign distancing himself from the most radical anti-Israel elements of his leftist movement, but an examination of his wife’s social media activity reveals she liked multiple Instagram posts cheering on Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault. The posts, shared by Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-American artist and Mamdani’s spouse, unambiguously celebrated the terrorist attack, which resulted in nearly 1,200 Israelis and foreign workers killed, thousands wounded, 251 civilians and military personnel kidnapped, and numerous episodes of sexual assault. The first post, shared on the day of Hamas’ attack, came from The Slow Factory, an organization that describes itself as a “school, knowledge partner and climate innovation organization” centered on amplifying the voices of the Global Majority. The Instagram post features stills from livestreamed footage of the attack, including a bulldozer used to breach the barrier separating Israel from Gaza and attackers riding on a captured IDF vehicle. The images are accompanied by slogans such as “Breaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation,” “Resisting apartheid since 1948,” and “Systemic change for collective liberation.” The caption laments that Gazans would be “punished for wanting freedom from apartheid” if Israel retaliates. Duwaji, who met Mamdani on a dating app in 2021 and married him in early 2025, liked the post and others using her personal Instagram account, which she has used to post political illustrations and engage with the mayor. She has also directly criticized Israeli policy on the platform.#new_york_city #zohran_mamdani #rama_duwaji #the_slow_factory #people_s_forum
