'Sorry, I cannot stay quiet': Mamdani faces backlash after NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs shares Hijab Day post

Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York, faced backlash on social media after his office shared a post that World Hijab Day recognises and honours “the faith, identity, and pride of Muslim women and girls around the world”. A social media user sharply reacted to the post, saying they felt compelled to speak out, arguing that removing women’s faces from a poster and celebrating the veil amounted to endorsing women’s confinement.

“February 1st is #WorldHijabDay! Today, we celebrate the faith, identity, & pride of Muslim women & girls around the word who choose to wear the hijab, a powerful symbol of devotion & celebration of Muslim heritage,” NYC Mayor's Office Of Immigrant Affairs said on X.

An Iranian-American journalist accused Mamdani of showing poor judgement and insensitivity, saying she was deeply distressed to see World Hijab Day celebrated while women in Iran are, in her words, being imprisoned, injured, and killed for rejecting the hijab and the ideology behind it.

She slammed him for offering no public sympathy, solidarity, or condemnation of the violence unfolding there, arguing that his silence alongside the celebration was troubling. She said the lack of response felt shameful and claimed that by doing so, he was aligning not with women, but with those who oppress them.

Another reacted, “Stop wrapping your oppressive ideology in pretty clothes and trying to sell it as empowerment.” “Why is the @NYCMayor celebrating oppressive patriarchy, misogyny, & the total subjugation of women?” questioned a third.

A fourth criticised the statement in strong terms, saying that the hijab should not be portrayed as a symbol of devotion or empowerment. Instead, the commenter described it as representing an ideology they view as oppressive to women, claiming it functions as a means of control rather than a voluntary expression of virtue.