AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced that, according to a new report from the Center for Organized Hate Research, social media platforms witnessed a systematic and coordinated campaign of Islamophobia and xenophobia during the New York City mayoral election period.
The report, titled “Islamophobia and the New York City Mayoral Election,” found that between June 24 and October 31, 2025, more than 35,500 Islamophobic and xenophobic posts were shared by nearly 18,000 accounts on X. According to the findings, verified users (blue check accounts) were responsible for nearly half of these posts, which collectively amassed over 1.5 billion views.
Most of the posts targeted Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim Democratic mayoral candidate, labeling him as a “terrorist” or “extremist,” while others accused him of “Islamizing,” “being unpatriotic,” or “lacking loyalty to America.” The report revealed that Islamophobic content in October rose by more than 450 percent compared to September, reflecting a sharp and sustained escalation of hate speech in the final weeks before Election Day.
In response to these findings, CAIR stressed that Islamophobia in the United States is not an isolated problem, but a systematic campaign aimed at dehumanizing Muslims. “When a candidate is attacked solely for their faith, the very foundation of democratic values is put at risk,” the organization stated.
CAIR urged technology companies, especially X, to adopt stronger measures against hate speech during election periods and called on politicians and media outlets to condemn anti-Islam rhetoric while promoting fair and accurate representation of American Muslims in society.
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