A distinguished Bangladeshi enterprise chief from Queens is popping his again on Zohran Mamdani after repeatedly backing the socialist lawmaker — and urging his group to now block the prostitution-boosting pol from changing into mayor.
“Supporting prostitution means supporting human trafficking,” stated Fahad Solaiman, who lives close to the infamously sex-worker-riddled Roosevelt Avenue.
Solaiman, who plans to vote for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, urged members of his mosque to additionally reject the progressive Democratic nominee in an unique interview with The Publish Friday.
“Come over right here within the night, after eight o’clock, after the solar units, you will notice that you simply can’t stroll Roosevelt Avenue [without seeing] many prostitutes,” Solaimain stated on the Darul Hidaya Mosque after a service Friday.
The influential businessman, who’s normal secretary on the Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Enterprise Affiliation, spoke alongside Cuomo on the service, urging others in his group to again the previous gov as a substitute of Mamdani.
The group chief claimed he used to assist Mamdani primarily due to his place on Palestine — however because the race has progressed, Solaiman has had a change of coronary heart.
“The extra he strikes ahead, the extra we’re seeing it; he’s a hypocrite. That’s the explanation we took ourselves out,” Solaiman stated.
Mamdani, who’s Muslim, co-sponsored an invoice within the state Meeting to “decriminalize” prostitution between consenting adults, which means there can be no arrests for intercourse employees or johns — however he’s been imprecise about his assist of it in latest months.
Standing side-by-side, the leaders of the mosque, together with Solaiman, passionately referred to as for the congregation to get out and assist Cuomo, who’s working on an unbiased line for mayor and trailing Mamdani by at the very least 20 level within the newest polls.
“I’m proud to endorse Andrew Cuomo for mayor, and can work hand in hand with him to unite our metropolis, slightly than divide us,” stated Imam Qazi Qayyoon.
The important thing situation that the entire Cuomo backers raised concerning the Queens assemblyman was his plan to reinstate former Mayor Invoice de Blasio’s coverage of not arresting or prosecuting intercourse employees.
Since taking workplace in 2021, the lawmaker has co-sponsored a number of variations of statewide laws to decriminalize intercourse work—payments that stay stalled. He continues to assist the proposals yearly and has constantly spoken out in favor of fixing the legislation.
Whereas prostitution is prohibited below Islamic ethical teachings — which Mamdani acknowledges — he maintains his stance on the difficulty as a matter of justice and public coverage.
“In order that’s the explanation I can’t assist him. When he involves South Asian communities, he’s saying he’s South Asian. When he involves African American communities, he’s saying he was born in Uganda, He’s African. So this man doesn’t know what he’s,” Solaiman contended.
Cuomo has tried to grab upon the difficulty over the previous few weeks, together with his marketing campaign seemingly caught within the mud, failing to interrupt above 30% within the ballot since his embarrassing loss to Mamdani within the Democratic main in June.
A spokesperson for Zohran Mamdani didn’t reply to The Publish’s request for remark.
