New York City�s Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, visited a Brooklyn mosque led by an imam who has publicly called for the destruction of Israel and praised Hamas fighters.

In a social media post dated January 17, Mamdani shared a photo of himself speaking at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge alongside Sheikh Muhammad Al-Barr, the mosque�s hate-filled imam. �It was a privilege to join Jummah prayers at the Islamic Society of Bay Ridge today,� Mamdani wrote on X.

The visit came just months after Al-Barr, during an August sermon at the same mosque, prayed in Arabic for the annihilation of Israel and praised Hamas fighters. �Oh Allah, annihilate those who occupied their lands, and those who betrayed and deserted them, and those who spilled their blood,� Al-Barr said, according to a translation of the sermon. He went on to hail the �mujahideen in Gaza� as more effective than Arab armies in the 1967 and 1973 wars against Israel.

The comments drew alarm from watchdog groups and Jewish leaders, who have expressed concern over Mamdani�s embrace of extremist figures and rhetoric.

Mamdani has previously said he does not support the idea of Israel as a Jewish state, citing concerns about �a hierarchy of citizenship.�

The Islamic Society of Bay Ridge has a long history of involvement in local politics and activism, but Imam Al-Barr�s comments have sparked renewed criticism in recent months for their incendiary tone amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)