Mamdani’s campaign responded by saying these types of threats “reflect a broader climate of hate that has no place in our city.”“We cannot and will not be intimidated by racism, Islamophobia and hate,” the statement read. New York City police ran a now-disbanded Muslim surveillance program. Critics of Obama, a Christian with Muslim ancestry, sought to use his connections to Islam as a political liability. Born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent, he has lived in New York City since he was 7 and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Shahana Hanif, a Mamdani ally and the first Muslim woman elected to the New York City Council, is optimistic.