Several right-wing influencers in the United States have circulated false claims linking New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, to the extremist group Daesh (ISIS). The disinformation spread on X (formerly Twitter) after a fake statement titled “Operation Manhattan Project” appeared online, suggesting that Daesh was planning an attack in New York City on Election Day.
The false communique, which displayed the Amaq News Agency logo, was quickly picked up by anti-Mamdani accounts and amplified by conservative figures, including Laura Loomer, who falsely claimed that “Muslims were celebrating a Muslim mayor’s victory with an ISIS attack.” Her post alone gained over 200,000 views, while similar posts reached millions across the platform.
However, fact-checkers and disinformation experts confirmed the statement was entirely fabricated. Researchers from NewsGuard and the Information Epidemiology Lab pointed out that the document lacked the usual structure, tone, and format of genuine Amaq releases and likely originated from 4chan, a far-right forum known for conspiracy theories.
Zohran Mamdani, 34, made history as the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City. Despite his progressive campaign focused on lowering living costs and promoting unity, he has been targeted by racist misinformation and Islamophobic attacks, especially due to his outspoken support for Palestinian rights.
In the run-up to the election, several false stories about Mamdani were also debunked by AFP Fact Check, including claims that noncitizens voted for him and that his campaign staff supported hate symbols.
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