Muslim rights groups denounce ADL chief over attacks on NY lawmaker Zohran Mamdani
NEW YORK, NY — Two major Muslim civil rights organizations are accusing Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt of spreading misinformation and promoting anti-Muslim bias after comments he made criticizing New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani during a recent national television interview.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and its advocacy wing, CAIR-Action, issued a statement Monday condemning Greenblatt’s remarks as “dishonest and Islamophobic,” saying they distorted facts about Mamdani’s record and subjected the Muslim lawmaker to an unfair double standard.
During a CNBC interview, Greenblatt claimed Mamdani had never visited a synagogue — a statement CAIR says is demonstrably false. The assemblymember, who represents parts of Queens, attended multiple Jewish community events this year, including Shabbat services in Park Slope, a town hall with the UJA-Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council in May, and two public forums at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in June, according to public reports.
Greenblatt also suggested Mamdani supports the controversial slogan “globalize the intifada,” a phrase the lawmaker has publicly rejected and discouraged others from using.
CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell called Greenblatt’s remarks “dishonest and bigoted,” accusing the ADL chief of trying to silence Muslim elected officials who are critical of Israeli policies. CAIR-Action Executive Director Basim Elkarra said the rhetoric risked inflaming division and distracting from real policy issues.
The groups said they are committed to truthfulness in public dialogue and called on other public figures to condemn what they describe as dangerous political distortion.
The ADL has not yet responded publicly to the allegations.
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