According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation of the Quran in 610 AD. While he was meditating in the Cave of Hira near Mecca, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, beginning Muhammad’s journey as a prophet at the age of 40.
In Islam, religious and political authority were unified in the Caliphate, giving leaders greater power.
The rise of Islam fundamentally transformed the Arabian Peninsula from a fragmented collection of warring tribes into a unified political and religious entity.
Islam replaced ancestral bloodlines and tribal loyalties with a common faith in one god, providing a “social solidarity” that overcame long-standing impediments to peace.
In Islam, God is called Allah, the Arabic term for “the God,” signifying the singular Creator and Sustainer worshipped by Muslims.
Islam teaches that Allah is one, without division or son. Christianity holds to the Trinity: one God in three Persons—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Muhammad established the first Islamic state in Medina in 622 AD. By his death in 632 AD, he had united the majority of Arab tribes under a single leadership, creating a potent political force.
The application of Sharia law (derived from the Quran) standardized criminal justice and commerce across the peninsula, reducing the chaos of blood feuds and making trade significantly safer.
Regular almsgiving was made obligatory to support the poor and orphans.
Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula and later across North Africa and the Middle East.
Muslims follow Islam and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. With over two billion adherents globally, Islam is the world’s second-largest religion. Researchers predict Muslims may outnumber Christians by 2050. The current crises of leadership in the American Democratic Party and the election of an Islamist mayor of New York contribute to an accelerated spread of Islam.
When Mayor Mamdani integrates his religion with politics, it will unlock the American political gates, as our borders were swung open to millions of invaders.
Mamdani took the oath of office on two Qurans—one from his grandfather and another from Arturo Schomburg’s collection—marking the first use of the Quran in a New York City mayoral inauguration.
The invocation at his City Hall ceremony was delivered by Imam Khalid Latif, executive director of the Islamic Center of New York City.
Mamdani had a “privileged childhood” owing to the wealth of his parents. Capitalism, not socialism, provided the wealth of the Soros family, who supported Mamdani’s campaign. But his net worth is “low,” about $200,000, unlikely to suffer from his plan to tax the rich to give to the poor.
On his first day, Mamdani reversed Adams’ orders restricting city agency boycotts of Israel and defining antisemitism, reflecting his solidarity with Palestinians.
Mamdani committed to maintaining and restructuring the Office to Combat Antisemitism and showed interfaith solidarity by celebrating Hanukkah with Jewish supporters.
His platform centers on “affordability and abundance” instead of religious reform, and is mainly directed toward:
Housing: Relaunch the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants and freeze rents for stabilized units.
Transportation: Appointing commissioners to implement fare-free city buses.
Wealth Redistribution: Raising taxes on corporations and high earners to support universal childcare and social services.
Mamdani is a prominent pro-Palestinian voice in American politics, calling the Palestinian cause “central to my identity” and urging New York City to reconsider its relationship with Israel.
He accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza. He supports the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He has long backed the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, calling it central to his views.
When Mamdani assumed office on January 1, 2026, he quickly moved to change Eric Adams’ pro-Israel policies.
He cancelled an order preventing city agencies from boycotting or divesting from Israel.
He revoked the city’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, claiming it equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism.
He revoked a directive that told the NYPD to prevent protests near houses of worship, reversing Adams’s earlier response to demonstrations at synagogues over West Bank land sales.
Islamists have subjected Christians to massacres, forced conversions, rape, sexual slavery, and the systematic destruction of their historical sites, churches, and other places of worship.
The depopulation of Christians from the Middle East by the Islamic State, as well as other organizations and governments, has been formally recognized as an ongoing genocide by the U.S., European Union, and the U.K. Christians remain the most persecuted religious group in the Middle East, and Christians in Iraq are “close to extinction.”
Mamdani has not publicly addressed or condemned Islamic violence towards Christians, such as persecution in Muslim-majority countries (e.g., Nigeria by Boko Haram/Fulani militants, Pakistan via blasphemy laws, or historical cases in Egypt/Iraq).
Mamdani is far too intelligent to reveal “anti-Christian” evidence, at this time, in his rhetoric or policy. In fact, during his 2025 campaign and early 2026 administration, he actively cultivated relationships with Christian leaders and congregations, particularly in Black churches and Seventh-day Adventist communities.
Mamdani spoke at Brooklyn’s Hanson Place Seventh-day Adventist Church as part of his effort to reach Black voters, guided by mentor and endorser Letitia “Tish” James. These visits sparked significant debate within the SDA community regarding the separation of church and state and whether it was appropriate to host political candidates during sacred Sabbath services.
While his political identity is primarily defined as a democratic socialist, his faith and political platform have drawn mixed reactions from different segments of the Christian community.
Since taking office, Mamdani has pursued a “prevention-first” public safety strategy that integrates traditional policing with new civilian agencies:
Mamdani has walked back earlier “defund” rhetoric, stating that he believes the NYPD currently has the “right number of police officers” (approximately 35,000) and has committed to keeping staffing levels flat.
Department of Community Safety (DCS): He is establishing a new $1.1 billion civilian agency to handle non-violent calls, such as mental health crises and homelessness. His stated goal is to “free up” police officers to focus on serious and violent crimes.
It is challenging to grasp the meaning of the election of a Muslim in New York. It perplexes me. By nature, I am impatient, but in the case of the new major, the results and their meaning force me to wait, but not roll over into a passive, helpless response. I am seeking first to understand.
Based on my love for America, the 24 years I served in its military, the Soldiers I have been privileged to treat for their combat-induced PTSD, and my present assessment of Mamdani’s election, this is what troubles me:
He vows to embrace “collectivism” over “rugged individualism,” the surgical equivalent of a heart transplant.
He has not addressed or condemned Islamic hatred, violence, and genocide of Christians by Islamists.
He is vocal on issues like Islamophobia in the U.S., Palestinian rights, and perceived anti-Muslim discrimination, but silent on persecution of religious minorities (including Christians) in countries like Pakistan, Nigeria, or Iran.
His mentor and supporter, Letitia James, campaigned on her unabashed hatred of President Trump. As a nation, hatred is gaining momentum over love, a destructive trend.
For a man whose childhood was “privileged,” and whose parents’ net worth may exceed $10,000,000, how can Mamdani’s net worth be only $200,000?
Socialist policies such as city-run grocery stores and universal childcare are “coercion” that conflicts with biblical mandates for voluntary generosity.
Mamdani’s pro-Palestine and anti-Israel stance is disgustingly destructive to America’s strongest ally in the Middle East.
His anti-Israel policy smacks of hatred of the vilest nature, the kind betrayed by his practiced, deceptive, untrustworthy smile.
His goal is to foster a city where faith communities—including Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and Christians—are “central to the story of New York City.” Sadly, his language fails the logical test.
A colleague and biblical scholar’s comment resonates with many Christians: “Mohammedism is a false religion. They believe that Ishmael, as the firstborn son of Abraham, is the legitimate heir of the promise. Everything about it is false. Allah is in no way the same Jewish / Christian God. The Islamic God, Allah, is the opposite of love.”
Robert S. Brown, MD, PHD a retired Psychiatrist, Col (Ret) U.S. Army Medical Corps devoted the last decade of his career to treating soldiers at Fort Lee redeploying from combat. He was a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Education at UVA. His renowned Mental Health course taught the value of exercise for a sound mind.
