New York’s Muslim community celebrates progress amid lingering Islamophobia 25 years after 9/11
Historian Asad Dandia reflects on a transformed New York, now home to its first Muslim mayor and public prayers, while acknowledging that anti-Muslim bias still exists.
Asad Dandia, an eight-year-old during the September 11 attacks, later faced NYPD infiltration when a friend turned informant, a tactic later deemed unlawful. After winning a settlement that limited such surveillance and established a watchdog, Dandia now guides walking tours highlighting Muslim life in New York. The city’s landscape has shifted dramatically, with over a hundred new mosques, public prayers in Times Square, and the historic election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was sworn in on the Holy Quran.
Nonetheless, anti-Muslim sentiment endures, evidenced by a far-right “Stop the Islamic Takeover” rally and a senator’s demand to send the mayor to Guantanamo. Community leaders like Mohammed Razvi and attorney Gadier Abbas note both the progress and the ongoing challenges. Dandia remains optimistic, pointing to growing institutional influence and broader acceptance among non-Muslim New Yorkers.
Why it matters
The story shows how a once-marginalized community has gained political and cultural foothold while still confronting prejudice.
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