Overview
- Mamdani was elected on November 4 as New York City's first Muslim mayor after a citywide vote.
- A graphic claiming a November 4 'jihad' in New York and purporting to endorse the result circulated on X and Facebook within hours of the election.
- MEMRI, InfoEpi Lab, and researchers including Aaron Zelin and Meili Criezis found the statement inauthentic based on language, style, format, and distribution that do not match Amaq outputs.
- Researchers and reporters say the fabrication appears to have originated on 4chan, yet it was amplified widely by public figures such as Laura Loomer and Alexander Duncan.
- Analysts warned the hoax fueled hate speech toward Mamdani and Muslim communities and noted it contradicts ISIS ideology that rejects elections and targets Shiite Muslims.