Sen. Tuberville Defends Post Comparing NYC Mayor Mamdani to 9/11 and Claims Quran Urges Killing Non‑Muslims
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R‑Ala., is standing by a social media post in which he replied to an image juxtaposing the 9/11 Twin Towers attacks with a photo of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a Ramadan iftar, adding the caption, "The enemy is inside the gates." In a March 17 interview with DC News Now, Tuberville said he "just go[es] by" Mamdani’s "rhetoric" and accused the mayor of dividing the country, while insisting he does not care about a person’s religion. Tuberville went further, asserting that "if you teach and preach Sharia law, if you bow down to the Quran, it teaches death to Americans" and posting that the Quran is "pretty CLEAR" in instructing followers to kill all non‑Muslims — statements that mischaracterize the text, which does not refer to Americans and does not contain such blanket instructions. Mamdani, who is Muslim, and other Democrats sharply criticized the "enemy inside the gates" post, with Mamdani responding that Washington should show as much outrage over child hunger as over him "break[ing] bread with New Yorkers" at an iftar. The episode is fueling online backlash and intensifying scrutiny of anti‑Muslim rhetoric from elected officials at a moment when tensions over the Iran war and domestic security are already high.
📌 Key Facts
- Tuberville reposted an 'End Wokeness' image comparing a 9/11 Twin Towers photo with a picture of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani at a Ramadan iftar, adding the caption, 'The enemy is inside the gates.'
- In a March 17 interview, Tuberville defended the post by citing Mamdani’s 'rhetoric' and accused him of dividing the country.
- Tuberville claimed that if someone 'bow[s] down to the Quran, it teaches death to Americans' and separately posted that the Quran is 'pretty CLEAR' in instructing followers to kill all non‑Muslims, assertions that conflict with the text itself.
- Mamdani and other Democrats denounced the comments; Mamdani replied on X that politicians should show as much outrage when 'kids go hungry' as when he shares an iftar meal with constituents.
📊 Relevant Data
The Muslim population in the United States was estimated at 4,453,908 in 2020, comprising about 1.34% of the total U.S. population.
Islam in the United States - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
In New York City, approximately 9% of residents are Muslim, constituting about 22.3% of American Muslims, with around 1.5 million Muslims in the greater New York metropolitan area.
Islam in New York City - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act ended national origin quotas, leading to increased immigration from non-European countries, including Muslim-majority regions, which has significantly contributed to the growth of the U.S. Muslim population, with most U.S. Muslim adults (58%) being immigrants or their descendants owing to this policy.
Muslims in America: Immigrants and those born in U.S. see life differently in many ways — Pew Research Center
Long-term trends indicate that jihadist terrorism in the U.S. is not resurgent, with a low number of incidents relative to the Muslim population size, such as fewer than 10 major attacks attributed to Islamist extremism between 2016 and 2024.
Jihadist Terrorism in the United States — Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Immigration to New York City has driven population growth, with foreign-born residents increasing by 17% for naturalized citizens from 2010-2023, though overall state population growth stagnated in 2024-2025 due to reduced immigration inflows of about 96,000 compared to 207,000 the prior year.
Data Briefing: A Portrait of Immigrant New Yorkers — Center for Migration Studies
Studies show mixed effects of immigration on wages in New York City, with most finding small impacts that are outweighed by overall economic benefits, such as immigrants contributing to workforce growth and reducing unemployment rates below pre-2019 levels for foreign-born citizens in 2023.
Facts, Not Fear: How Welcoming Immigrants Benefits New York City — New York City Comptroller
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