New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come under sharp criticism following a social media post by his office marking World Hijab Day on February 1, with critics arguing that the message ignored the realities faced by women in countries like Iran, where wearing the hijab is enforced by law.
The post, shared by Mamdani’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, described the hijab, a head covering mandated for women under Islamic law, as a symbol of faith and cultural pride. However, the message quickly sparked backlash online, particularly from activists and commentators who pointed to nations such as Iran, where women face severe punishment, including imprisonment and death, for defying mandatory hijab rules.
Zohran Mamdani’s Post That Sparked the Controversy
“February 1st is #WorldHijabDay! Today, we celebrate the faith, identity, & pride of Muslim women & girls around the word who choose to wear the hijab, a powerful symbol of devotion & celebration of Muslim heritage,” Zohran Mamdani’s Office of Immigrant Affairs wrote on X.
February 1st is #WorldHijabDay! Today, we celebrate the faith, identity, & pride of Muslim women & girls around the word who choose to wear the hijab, a powerful symbol of devotion & celebration of Muslim heritage. pic.twitter.com/66YMVosNfT
— NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (@NYCImmigrants) February 2, 2026
Soon after it was posted, social media users and analysts criticised the framing of the hijab as a purely celebratory symbol, arguing that it overlooks the lack of choice faced by millions of women globally.
What Zohran Mamdani Critics Say About NYC Mayor’s Hijab Post
Several activists and commentators accused Mamdani of promoting a narrative that ignores how the hijab has been used by authoritarian regimes as a tool of control over women.
Among the most prominent critics was Iranian-American journalist and women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad, who said the post appeared to align with the very systems that oppress women in Iran.
“To be honest, I feel tortured in my own beautiful city of New York, watching you celebrate ‘World Hijab Day’ while women in my wounded country, Iran, are being jailed, shot, and killed for refusing the hijab and the Islamic ideology behind it,” Alinejad wrote.
She further criticised the mayor for failing to express solidarity with Iranian women.
“Not even an empty condemnation for the massacre which unfolding right now in Iran. Your silence, paired with celebration, is shameful. You are not standing with women. You are standing with our jailers,” she added.
Mr. @ZohranKMamdani, really? Right now?
To be honest, I feel tortured in my own beautiful city of New York, watching you celebrate “World Hijab Day” while women in my wounded country, Iran, are being jailed, shot, and killed for refusing the hijab and the Islamic ideology behind… https://t.co/EW0GLq9I5n— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) February 4, 2026
Iran Activists, Women Slam Zohran Mamadani Hijab Post
The backlash also included personal accounts from individuals claiming to be from Iran. One woman on X, using the username @chloekhani, described being forced to wear the hijab from a very young age.
“This absolutely disgusts me coming from a country where I experienced maximum oppression under Islamic rules. I had to cover my hair at the age of 7 when I started 1st grade. And women of my country are still getting killed for showing their hair,” she wrote.
Many users also referenced the case of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian woman who allegedly died in 2022 after being detained by Iran’s morality police for not wearing the hijab according to government-mandated standards. Her death sparked widespread protests across Iran and renewed global scrutiny of compulsory hijab laws.
French author and philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy also weighed in, sharply criticising both the timing and the message of the post.
“World Hijab Day How dare you?” Lévy wrote. “How can the ‘shining city upon a hill’ celebrate the hijab at the very moment when thousands of women in Iran are being jailed, tortured, and murdered for the simple act of refusing to wear it?”
Zohran Mamdani’s Past Stand on Anti-Muslim Bias, Hijab
The controversy stands in contrast to Mamdani’s earlier remarks about discrimination faced by Muslim Americans. Speaking last year, he recalled how his aunt stopped using the subway after the September 11 attacks because she no longer felt safe wearing a hijab in public.
He also spoke about being advised to keep his religious identity private while pursuing a political career.
“These are lessons that so many Muslim New Yorkers have been taught,” Zohran Mamdani had said at the time, referring to the “indignities” faced by Muslims in the city.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
