Brad Lander, a Democratic primary candidate for New York’s 10th Congressional District, appeared at the Al-Khoei Islamic Center in Queens on May 15, 2026, where he recited a verse from the Quran in Arabic and spoke about his political vision.
Lander described himself as “a proud Jewish New Yorker” and told the audience that what he called Israel’s “genocide in Gaza” violates the belief that all people are created in God’s image.
He then said that, if elected to Congress, he hopes to build the same kind of partnership he has with Zohran Mamdani together with Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.
The most disturbing moment came after Lander’s remarks, when the imam led a supplication asking for relief to come to the believers through the Mahdi — and through violence against infidels by his sword.