Against the backdrop of Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral rise, a burgeoning community of Muslim creatives and intellectuals is helping to define a new era for New York City. Their prominence marks a rebuke of the Islamophobia that followed 9/11 and is closely tied to the mass movement for Palestinian rights that has gained momentum over the past two years.
The city’s cultural scene features figures such as Hala Alyan, a Palestinian American poet and writer based in Brooklyn. The 39-year-old, who also works as a psychology professor at New York University, hosts the live performance series Kan Yama Kan, which raises funds for causes from Gaza to Sudan. Another voice is Mohammed R Mhawish, a 25-year-old journalist from Gaza who now contributes to The New Yorker. After losing friends in Israeli attacks and surviving an airstrike on his home, he moved to the US, where he feels a heightened sense of responsibility.
In the political sphere, Zara Rahim, a first-generation Bangladeshi American, served as a senior adviser to Mamdani’s campaign. Having worked for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, she helped shape a strategy that prioritised authenticity over traditional media. Waleed Shahid, a key figure in the progressive wing of the Democratic party, co-founded the Uncommitted Movement and now serves as deputy communications director of economic justice in Mamdani’s administration. He described Mamdani’s victory as a watershed moment for Palestine politics in the US.
The cultural collective Papi Juice, which provides safe spaces for queer people of colour, gained attention when Mamdani visited one of its events. Co-founder Mohammed Iman Fayaz, a 35-year-old illustrator, noted that he once struggled to reconcile his queer and Muslim identities, but that has changed in recent years. The collective’s lively parties and inclusive ethos reflect the broader shift in New York’s cultural fabric.
