New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani faced criticism after he misrepresented a family story involving a relative he described as his “aunt.” Mamdani had recounted that the woman stopped using the subway after the September 11, 2001, attacks because she did not feel safe wearing a hijab. Social media users and political opponents questioned the accuracy of the story, noting discrepancies in his account.
On Monday, Mamdani clarified that the woman in question was not his biological aunt but his father’s cousin, Zehra Fuhi, who passed away several years ago. He explained that he used the term “fuhi,” which translates to paternal aunt in Urdu and Hindi, as an affectionate reference. Critics pointed out that his only direct aunt, Masuma Mamdani, lived in Tanzania during the attacks and publicly available photos do not show her wearing a hijab.
The story had drawn commentary from Vice President JD Vance, who wrote on X, “According to Zohran the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks.” Social media scrutiny intensified after Mamdani’s speech on October 24, when he described the relative’s actions and tied the anecdote to his political campaign.
Questions about the accuracy of Mamdani’s account were amplified by reports of his father, Mahmood Mamdani, who has faced prior controversy for statements made as a professor and for his involvement with organizations critical of Israel. Observers noted that the sequence of events and the characterization of the relative raised concerns about potential exaggeration.
The clarification by Mamdani confirmed that the individual he referred to as his aunt was not a direct aunt and that details of her story had been misstated. The incident has remained a point of discussion on social media and in political circles as the mayoral campaign continues.
