By Mohammed Khaku
Photos: YouTube Screenshots
Zohran, your big win in the NYC mayoral race has the privileged elite DNC officials and their City Hall allies labeling you an “extremist,” “radical,” and, as Trump says, a “communist.” What nonsense! Your affordability plan is anything but extreme.
Billionaires, the oligarchy, Wall Street, and big corporations can’t stand the idea of you pushing for affordability, taxing the ultra-wealthy, and carrying a strong, steady voice for everyday people—the workers, the poor, and the powerless—right into the halls of political power at City Hall.
Zohran, your ideas for “Free Bus Fares,” “Rent Stabilization,” and a “Universal Child Care” program are not only widely shared but also align with values upheld by many faiths, especially Islam.
Social democratic nations in Europe and beyond, including Canada, have long upheld far more comprehensive social safety nets than what you’ve envisioned or proposed here.
Immigrants in NYC played a big part in challenging millionaire Andrew Cuomo. Across the nation, families and communities like those in New York still face deep divisions, fueled by toxic rhetoric from the White House and some media outlets.
Now, as mayor-elect, I encourage you to genuinely hear the voices of the people—especially the diverse immigrant community that calls NYC home—who helped get you elected, rather than catering to powerful lobbies and special interest groups that might raise you to Wall Street’s top floor only to let you fall later.
Over the past thirty years, we’ve seen environmental destruction, widening inequality, crushing student debt, mass deportations, mass incarceration, police brutality, corruption, and a soaring national debt fueled by the military-industrial complex. On top of that are the heartbreaking realities of school shootings and rampant gun violence, and the list just keeps going.
A lot of this stems from elected leaders prioritizing the interests of wealthy lobbyists, special interest groups, and corporations over the needs of the public, slowly eroding trust and integrity.
We need a forward-looking vision, not one that pulls us back into the past. Zohran’s promises must be honored, inspiring cities across the country. If you want a legacy that endures for generations, this incredible opportunity cannot be allowed to slip away.
You’ve got the skills, but navigating tough times in a sea of strong currents calls for faith, bold vision, meaningful words, a simple lifestyle, and a lot of patience, courage, and determination. We’re all in this together—if you sink, we sink; if you swim, we’ll be right there swimming with you.
I’m the grandson of a weary generation that endured British rule in East Africa. In search of better opportunities, my forefathers left India for Mombasa to help build the railways. My father worked alongside the British military, witnessing firsthand the cruelty and racism of the regime.
Black communities, especially the Kikuyu, Luo, and Luhya, showed incredible courage and determination, making great sacrifices to win independence and break free from colonial rule.
Our families grew up under neo-colonial regimes where leaders like Kenyatta, Mobutu, and Moi were ironically celebrated, in stark contrast to anti-colonial revolutionaries like Machel Collins from Ireland, Cabral from Guinea-Bissau, and Nyerere from Tanzania.
Frantz Fanon, Nelson Mandela, Thomas Sankara, and Bishop Desmond Tutu remained steadfast in speaking the truth and opposing apartheid, even when facing severe reprisals during Harold Macmillan’s era, a time when he later led significant decolonization efforts in Africa.
His iconic “Wind of Change” speech captured the sweeping political shifts across the African continent, and I hope to see a similar transformation unfold across America.
Your commitment to advocating for a Free Palestine, while also standing up for housing, justice, and immigrant rights, represents a new wave of leadership rooted in trust, honesty, transparency, bold progressivism, strong values, and deep ties to the community.
I’ve heard your speeches and interviews, enriched with quotes from Dr. MLK, Malcolm X, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and the poetry of Allama Iqbal, paired with subtle gestures that have inspired millions of immigrants to look up to you.
I’ve both been wary of their unwavering optimism and impressed by your remarkable ability to rally support, seeing firsthand how effectively you stood up to the dynasty and the Zionist lobby.
Facing off against the U.S. political elite has stripped away the façade of neo-colonialism for all to see. You’re swept up in the relentless tide of history, driven by forces transforming the world and dismantling long-standing systems. And through it all, the question remains—will history be told by the hunter or the lion?
Zohran, whether you faced victories or setbacks, you’ve been part of a historic movement that took a long-overdue stand against wealth inequality—Occupy Wall Street. It’s about raising your voice, no longer staying silent against a system that holds back the majority.
Zohran please maintain a firm and resolute stance when ordering the arrest of Netanyahu, who faces accusations of war crimes, has been indicted by both the International Criminal Court and the Israeli justice system, and is now seeking a pardon.
Zohran, the spotlight is on a resistance movement fueled by an immigrant awakening stretching from Mombasa to Kampala to New York, as New Yorkers and other Americans start to take notice of the growing fight against wealth inequality and for greater affordability.
Now is the time to decide which way history will turn, and whether the lion or the hunter will shape the story. I know where you stand now, and I know where I’ll stand.
