MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
For the first time in the city's history, New York's top leader celebrated Ramadan with Muslim men at Rikers Island, New York City's massive jail complex. Zohran Mamdani is the city's first Muslim mayor. He prayed with the men Monday night and broke the Ramadan fast. NPR's Brian Mann is one of two journalists who traveled with Mamdani to Rikers, and he is with us now to tell us what it was like. Good morning, Brian.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.
MARTIN: Tell us what you saw. What was it like?
MANN: You know, this really was unprecedented. Mamdani arrived through heavy security. He came into this big room where men were sitting on prayer mats, sharing a lesson from the Quran. Mamdani then slipped off his shoes, and he joined the men as they knelt to pray.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Praying in non-English language).
MANN: And these men, Michel - many awaiting trial - and also Muslim men who are corrections officers, they all gathered around, you know, the mayor of the country's biggest city, and they shared fellowship.
MARTIN: Tell us more about what brought you there and why this moment matters.
MANN: You know, I've spent the last week following Mamdani as he's celebrated Ramadan and these iftar dinners ending the daily fast in a really public way. He's been using the influence of his office in the city to really reframe Muslim life, pulling it into the center of the city's culture in a way that a lot of people, especially Muslims, tell me feels really new. Mamdani told me last night this celebration - breaking the fast with these men behind bars - felt especially powerful.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI: This is one of the most meaningful evenings that I've had as the mayor of New York City.
MANN: Does it send any kind of message, or is it strictly a moment of worship and community?
MAMDANI: This is me just being a Muslim New Yorker. And I think there are some for whom that is a political act, and there are a million or so of us here in this city for whom it is simply a day-to-day existence.
MANN: And really, this is happening at a time, Michel, when Mamdani and many Muslim Americans face growing hostility, especially from politicians on the far right. Just last week, a Republican senator from Alabama, Tommy Tuberville, posted a photo of Mamdani celebrating Ramadan next to an image of the 9/11 terror attacks. Mamdani has pushed back, calling those attacks bigoted and racist, but he's also just continued holding these Ramadan celebrations night after night.
MARTIN: Now, Brian, you mentioned that corrections officers also shared fellowship with Mamdani and prayer.
MANN: That's right.
MARTIN: But you spoke to some of the men who were being held at Rikers. What did they say about Mamdani's visit?
MANN: Yeah. Jail officials allowed me to speak freely with some of these men who prayed and ate with Mamdani on the condition that NPR not use their names. These guys ranged in age from their 20s to their 50s. And here's what they told me about sharing this holiday with Mamdani, who they called their Muslim brother.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: I'm ecstatic. He cares about us, even though we're going through a rough time.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: It's a proud thing to not be looked down upon, especially when you have someone as powerful as the mayor here. That's a blessing.
MANN: And Mamdani spent an hour with these men. That's a long time for a politician, talking and shaking hands.
MARTIN: Brian, before we let you go, do we have any sense yet for how or if Mamdani's faith is shaping his policies and the way he's leading the city?
MANN: You know, he's emerged really quickly on the national scene as probably the most influential Muslim public official in the country. He's used that position to advocate for Palestinian rights. He's opposed the new war in Iran. That's made him, as we mentioned, a big target for political attacks. But Mamdani is also keeping his focus on affordability, and he's also been careful to show, Michel, that he's not just the mayor of the Muslim community. Last night, he celebrated Ramadan. Today, it's St. Patrick's Day. He's joining the big parade and attending a Catholic Mass.
MARTIN: That is NPR's Brian Mann. Brian, thanks.
MANN: Thank you.
MARTIN: And you will hear more from him later today about Mayor Mamdani on All Things Considered.
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