Speaking at New York’s annual interfaith breakfast, Mayor Zohran Mamdani quoted passages from the Quran, criticising the brutality of immigration policies.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has drawn widespread attention after quoting the Quran and other religious texts to defend the rights of immigrants, invoking Islamic teachings to argue for humane treatment and protection for migrant communities in the United States.
Mamdani made the remarks during the first interfaith breakfast hosted at the New York Public Library in midtown Manhattan, amid continued controversy in the US over immigration enforcement tactics, mass deportations, and the role of ICE.
Referring to Islamic scripture, Mamdani cited verses emphasising justice, dignity and the moral obligation to protect the vulnerable, linking these principles to contemporary struggles faced by undocumented migrants and asylum seekers across the country.
“The Quran teaches us that human dignity is inherent, not conditional”, Mamdani said, drawing parallels between the sacred Islamic text and modern calls for migrant protections, adding that Islam is “a religion built upon the narrative of migration”.
Referring to the concept of hijra, migration in the Islamic tradition, Mamdani highlighted it as a reminder that displacement and the search for safety are deeply rooted in human history.
He also quoted the Torah and other religious texts when speaking about the need to “love the stranger residing among you”.
Mamdani’s remarks come as federal authorities expand enforcement measures as several states and cities seek to limit cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
During his speech, he also spoke of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two Americans killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis last month.
“Masked agents, paid by our own tax dollars, violate the Constitution and visit terror upon our neighbours”, Mamdani said about immigration officers.
“They arrive as if atop a pale horse, and they leave a path of wreckage in their wake. People ripped from their cars. Guns drawn against the unarmed. Families torn apart. Lives shattered, quietly, swiftly, brutally”.
The mayor signed Executive Order 13, barring federal agents from entering New York City property without a judicial warrant.
Mamdani has long positioned himself as a vocal advocate for immigrant and refugee communities, particularly in New York.
His latest remarks reinforce a broader effort by the new mayoral administration to frame immigration as a moral and human rights issue rather than solely a question of border enforcement.
Mamdani’s use of Islamic references quickly spread across social media, where many praised the speech as a rare moment of faith-based advocacy for migrant rights in American political discourse.
Supporters described it as a powerful challenge to narratives that portray immigrants as threats rather than as people seeking safety and opportunity.
Other users highlighted the symbolic significance of a Muslim elected official openly referencing religious texts in a political context often dominated by secular or Christian framing, particularly at a time when Muslims and immigrants alike face heightened scrutiny in the United States.
