During a Saturday event at the Masjid Ansarudeen Islamic Center in the Bronx, Andrew Cuomo, candidate for mayor, pressed Mamadou Drammeh, president of the Senegalese Association of America and a supporter of Zohran Mamdani, on the issue of prostitution. Cuomo asked, “If he does support legalizing prostitution, do you still support him?”
“He will not,” Drammeh responded. Cuomo replied, “All right, I understand you, I understand your position.” Drammeh emphasized further, “Zohran will never ever sponsor a bill that will legalize prostitution. As a Muslim brother, he will never ever do that.”
Sheikh Ibrahim Niass, who moderated the event, emphasized the faith perspective and stated, “We will never, never, never support it, no matter what. As a Muslim, we will never support it. Never support it, no matter what.”
The exchange echoes a similar moment two weeks earlier when Mayor Eric Adams visited the Bronx Islamic Cultural Center. Congregants there expressed shock after learning of Mamdani’s support for decriminalizing prostitution. Several members told Adams they could not support a candidate who backed policies forbidden under Islam.
The moments at both Bronx mosques underscore that many Muslim voters were unaware of Mamdani’s stance on prostitution, and that those who learn of it consistently say they cannot support him because his policies are Haram — against their Islamic faith.
As the mayoral race intensifies, the issue has become a point of contention, with critics arguing Mamdani’s positions conflict with Islam and the values of Muslim communities across the city.
