1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I'm writing to express my concern about the flagrantly racist comments made by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on the 6/26 Brian Lehrer show. Thankfully, the show's staff fact-checked claims that Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, has urged anti-semetic violence or that he has links to Hamas. While the Lehrer staff did their due diligence, every article and interview about Mamdani touches on accusations of anti-semitism, no journalists seem interested in pointing out- let alone pushing back against, blatant racism and islamophobia directed at Mamdani.   White supremacists and Republican congressional representatives are currently using language that is nearly identical to Sen. Gillibrand's when calling for Zohran Mamdani to be stripped of citizenship and deported (talking about Tennessee most recently). Claims that Mamdani needs to answer for 9/11, that he's a Hamas agent, that he wants to impose Sharia law are inherently racist and and viciously islamophobic. Your refusal to reject and condemn claims that Mamdani supports global jihad, is a supporter of Hamas, and that Mamdani is "glorify[ing] the slaughter of Jews" and that he wants to "destroy Israel and kill all the Jews." Is not only shocking, it's utterly disgusting. Over the course of this mayoral primary campaign we have heard ceaseless, baseless accusations that Mamdani is an antisemite. In nearly every major interview he is, in some form, asked to condemn violence carried out by Islamist groups and asked if he would really work to ensure the safety of Jewish New Yorkers. But where is the coverage of the relentless barrage of islamophobia and the death threats against Mamdani? Why is seemingly no official or journalist concerned that such things make Muslim New Yorkers feel unsafe, while the current political climate emboldens xenophobes to act violently against them? You have a duty to condemn this hate speech, to denounce the baseless attacks against Mamdani, and to speak up for all Muslim Americans. I am a voter and I will be glad to volunteer with a campaign (much I like I did for Zohran) for a primary challenger seeking your seat who has the interest of the public as a priority.