Mamdani claims Cuomo isn't qualified to be mayor because he didn't visit a Muslim mosque

In the Thursday night New York City mayoral debate, moderators asked the candidates how they would "assure New Yorkers that [they] will be the mayor for all?" In his answer, speaking about his own Muslim identity, Zohran Mamdani complained that Cuomo had never visited a mosque until recently and indicated that this was a disqualifying factor.

The Queens Assemblyman was first to answer the question and he touted his Muslim identity, saying "what I'm looking to do as the first Muslim mayor of the city is to ensure that we bring every New Yorker together, Jewish New Yorkers, Muslim New Yorkers, every single person that calls the city home, they understand they won't just be protected, but they will belong."

Mamdani took aim at his Democrat opponent saying "It took Andrew Cuomo being beaten by a Muslim candidate in the Democratic primary for him to set foot in a mosque. He had more than 10 years and he couldn't name a single mosque at the last debate we had that he visited.

"And what Muslims want in this city is what every community wants and deserves," Mamdani went on, "they want equality and they want respect. And it took me to get you to even see those Muslims as part of the city, and that, frankly, is something that is shameful, and is why so many New Yorkers have lost faith in this politics."

As Cuomo tried to defend himself, speaking about his history in government working with Muslim leaders, Mamdani demanded he answer "Name a single mosque you went to as governor? Can you name a single mosque you went to in 10 years?"

GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa pointed out that Mamdani, who has participated in pro-Palestinian protests, refused to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada," and has not backed the Trump plan for terror group Hamas to disarm.