You frequently hear the phrase “Mamdani, Mamdani, Mamdani” in the Morrisania neighborhood of New York City.
Morrisania, one of many areas where race and the needs of the working class converge in anticipation of New York’s November 4 mayoral election, is home to a rapidly expanding West African community with many new-immigrant Muslims.
Many people in this area rely on Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old candidate, to win.
After all, Mamdani’s victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo would set off a string of landmark victories for New York City: it had the first Muslim mayor, had the first African-born mayor, and had the first South Asian mayor to lead the largest city in the country.
The diversity of Muslim communities interwoven into the fabric of the city has sparked hope and grim reminders of ingrained Islamophobia and xenophobia.
But Aicha Donza, a shop owner in Morrisania, the Bronx, where annual incomes are half the city’s average, is supported by the avowed Democratic Socialist’s message of affordability: ambitious pledges for free buses, rent freezes on some buildings, and universal childcare, all of which are funded in part by raising taxes on the wealthy.
In addition to the items in her store, Donza compared the items to be imported from Ghana, Liberian palm oil from where she was born, and traditional Islamic clothing from Turkiye, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
People visit the store every day because the rent is so high, she said, and they complain that the prices are too high. If he can manage free buses, that would make a big difference.
Essa Tunkala, 60, a resident of the nearby Islamic Cultural Center of the Bronx, speculated about what the election might mean for the neighborhood, a melting pot of both West African diaspora workers and parking attendants.
Residents of Senegal, Liberia, Ghana, Togo, and Mali were listed among the many, with “It almost seems like you’re in West Africa,” Tunkala grinned.
How will Mamdani’s vision be realized, he asked, posing a number of serious questions that still hang over his run. Will he be able to form the kind of coalition with state officials and lawmakers that the mayoral position has the resources to fulfill his marquee pledges?
Tunkala, who sells sporting goods from a table on the street, said, “But we need fresh ideas to create opportunities.” I support him because we are a new generation with fresh ideas for development.
The 55-year-old Sierra Leonean cab driver, Ahmed Jejote, echoed the sentiment.
He made reference to the current city mayor, who was plagued by corruption and who announced his exit from the race in September. “We’ve experienced Eric Adams,” he said. “We’ve seen Cuomo”.
He stated, “Mamdani is just beginning to move forward.” For me, religion is not really what matters.
Mariam Saleh, 46, sat over steaming trays of food at Kumasi Restaurant: banku, a fermented blend of maize and cassava, suya, a spiced meat skewer, and kwenkwen, a type of jollof rice.
Concerning Mamdani’s run’s historical significance, she was less circumspect.
The 46-year-old, who is a native of Ghana, told Al Jazeera, “It is a huge step forward for us that he is Muslim.”
Source: Aljazeera
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