Former Governor Andrew Cuomo visited the Futa Islamic Center in the Bronx on Friday, September 12th, marking his first campaign stop at a mosque since declaring his run for New York City mayor.
Cuomo was warmly greeted upon arrival, with congregants standing and moving forward to shake his hand and take photos. Leaders at the mosque introduced him at length before he took the stage to address the audience. “Assalam Alaikum,” Cuomo said after a halting attempt at the traditional Arabic greeting, drawing encouragement from attendees.
In his remarks, Cuomo highlighted New York’s role as a symbol of opportunity and acceptance. “This city stands for acceptance of all,” he told the congregation. “It is the laboratory for the American experiment in democracy.” He drew a parallel between his own family’s history and that of the mosque’s West African congregants, recalling his grandfather’s arrival from Italy nearly a century ago with little more than hope for a better life.
Cuomo emphasized that affordability and public safety would be central to his campaign platform. He pledged to make public transit free for families earning under $50,000 and to tackle rising housing costs. “Affordability is a new fancy word for an old problem,” he remarked. “The middle class, working families, the poor, are under tremendous economic pressure.”
Mona Davids of LittleAfrica News raised a question about how Cuomo would support African-owned small businesses and nonprofit organizations that often struggle to access city funding. Cuomo responded that greater inclusion in government would be a priority and explained that it is an issue he is eager to pursue. He criticized the city’s current stance toward small businesses as “almost hostile,” describing inspectors who treat them as an ATM through fines. “It has to be the exact opposite,” he emphasized. “The government should be a partner with the small business. I want the small business to do well. I want them to grow. I want them to hire more people.”
Community leaders echoed the positive response to Cuomo’s visit. “We at Futa Islamic Center were pleased to host Andrew Cuomo on September 12th, 2025. His visit allowed our community to engage directly with him and discuss issues that matter to our members,” said Ahmadou Diallo, Former Founding President of Futa Islamic Center.
The reception reflected support from many congregants who remembered Cuomo’s time as governor. Several noted his record on raising the state minimum wage to $15 per hour and his opposition to the Trump administration’s travel ban on residents of Muslim-majority countries. Others expressed hope he would return before Election Day to further engage with the African Muslim community.
