A leading business figure from Queens, Bangladesh, has withdrawn his support for Zohran Mamdani after previously endorsing the socialist legislator and is now calling on his community to oppose the pro-prostitution agenda as he vies for mayor.
“Endorsing prostitution equates to condoning human trafficking,” stated Fahad Solaiman, a resident near the notorious prostitution-laden Roosevelt Avenue.
Solaiman expressed his intention to vote for former Governor Andrew Cuomo and encouraged fellow members of his mosque to reject the progressive Democrat in an exclusive interview with The Post on Friday.
“If you come here after sunset, around 8 PM, it’s impossible to walk down Roosevelt Avenue without encountering numerous prostitutes,” Solaiman remarked at the Darul Hidaya Mosque following a Friday service.
The influential entrepreneur, who serves as general secretary at the Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Business Association, joined Cuomo at the service, urging his community to support the former governor over Mamdani.
Solaiman noted that he initially backed Mamdani due to his stance on Palestine, but as the campaign progressed, his perspective shifted.
“Each step he takes reveals more of his true self; he exhibits hypocrisy. That’s why we distanced ourselves from him,” said Solaiman.
Mamdani, who practices Islam, co-sponsored legislation in the state Assembly aimed at “decriminalizing” prostitution between consenting adults, which would prevent arrests of sex workers and clients. However, he has recently been unclear about his support.
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Standing together, the mosque leaders, along with Solaiman, fervently encouraged the community to rally behind Cuomo, who is campaigning as an independent for mayor and currently trails Mamdani by over 20 points in recent polls.
“I proudly support Andrew Cuomo for mayor and will collaborate with him to unite our city, not divide it,” asserted Imam Qazi Qayyoon.
The principal concern raised by Cuomo supporters regarding the Queens assemblyman was his intention to revive former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s approach of not prosecuting or arresting sex workers.
Since taking office in 2021, Mamdani has co-sponsored several versions of state legislation aimed at decriminalizing sex work, with those bills facing stalling in the legislative process. He maintains annual support for the proposals and has continuously advocated for legal changes.
While Islamic teachings prohibit prostitution—a fact Mamdani acknowledges—he argues his position stems from issues of justice and public policy.
“That’s why I can’t support him. When he speaks to South Asian communities, he identifies as South Asian. When he talks to African American communities, he claims he is African because he was born in Uganda. This man doesn’t seem to know his own identity,” Solaiman argued.
Cuomo has attempted to capitalize on this issue in recent weeks as his campaign struggles to gain momentum, hovering near 30% in polls following his disappointing defeat to Mamdani during the Democratic primary in June.
A representative for Zohran Mamdani did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
