A bigwig on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition staff spewed hatred towards Jews and Israel and questioned homosexual rights in a sequence of hateful social media posts from a decade in the past.
Hassaan Chaudhary, who identifies himself as newly appointed political director for Mamdani’s transition and inaugural committee on LinkedIn, used the phrase “Jew” as a slur, and even praised former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who infamously mentioned Israel is “a most cancers which will probably be eradicated quickly.”
Chaudhary, who was the director of Muslim engagement for the Mamdani marketing campaign, additionally described Israel as a “bloody nation” and a “barbaric nation” within the posts — a few of which date again to when he was 18 years outdated.
Extra just lately, Chaudhary reshared a submit on X in December 2024 aimed toward pro-Israel Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who’s Jewish.
“If Luigi [Mangione] had shot a Gazan toddler as a substitute, Josh Shapiro would have given him a medal,” the unique submit mentioned.
Responding to Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi on February 9, 2012, Chaudhary mentioned, “Hitler..why dont you face our Pakistani folks? Your daughter works at WSJ [the Wall Street Journal].”
He then invokes an urdu phrase, saying, “oh forgot that Jew hoga tera baap” — which loosely means “Jew will probably be your father.”
In one other submit, a thrilled Chaudhury additionally lauded Ahmadinejad and referred to as him “fearless.”
“This banda [person] is fearless RT “@murtazasolangi President Ahmedinejad has declared Israel as most cancers which will probably be eradicated very quickly,” Chaudhury wrote in an X submit to Pakistani official Murtaza Solangi.
He spewed venom towards Israel in different posts.
“There’s a barbaric nation who’s killing indigents and harmless Palestinians referred to as ISRAEL. TALK about it. #silly media,” Chaudhury mentioned in a November 2012 submit to a Pakistani journalist.
In one other submit, he referred to as Israel a “bloody nation” for claiming a pro-Palestian decision was undermining peace as a substitute of selling it.
In a single November 2012 tweet, he questioned homosexual rights.
“@SaifsDen I too learn a chunk on Homosexual rights. To be sincere, it’s purely claptrap. Doesn’t make sense. Boundary line must be drawn someplace,” Chaudhury, now 31, mentioned.
Chaudhary apologized for the feedback in a press release to The Submit on Sunday.
“I apologize for my tweets, as they don’t mirror my present views, or characterize who I’m as we speak,” he mentioned. “These feedback from over a decade in the past are usually not in step with how I see the world, and I look again at that rhetoric and mindset with deep remorse.”
Jewish activists mentioned Chaudhary’s statements reek of antisemitism and that he doesn’t belong in a Mamdani administration.
“That is Adolf Hitler language. It’s antisemitic. It’s a horror present,” mentioned Dov Hikind, a former Brooklyn assemblyman and founding father of Individuals Towards Antisemitism.
He blamed Mamdani — who helps the controversial boycott, divestment and sanctions motion towards Israel — for setting the instance.
“The fish stinks from the top. Mamdani units the tone. It’s a hate-filled administration,” Hikind mentioned.
Veteran political guide Hank Sheinkopf railed that “phrases matter.”
“This advisor to the mayor is clearly by his personal phrases a Jew hater,” mentioned Sheinkopf, who’s Jewish and a rabbi. “The one subject: it at all times begins with the Jews however by no means ends with the Jews. Who’s subsequent on the checklist?”
A consultant for Mamdani’s transition staff condemned Chaudhary’s remarks, and mentioned he’s a Muslim outreach director for the mayor-elect, not the political director for the transition staff.
“These feedback from over a decade in the past are reprehensible and by no means mirror the views of the Mayor-elect or this transition. The mayor elect has made this clear internally and constantly through the marketing campaign and transition,” mentioned Mamdani transition spokesperson Dora Pekec.
The spokesperson didn’t point out that Chaudhury can be fired for the outdated, venomous remarks.
Chaudhury beforehand labored as a senior neighborhood organizer for Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and a digital organizer for the Working Households Get together.
