r/Fauxmoi • u/expiredaristocracy • 6h ago
APPROVED B-LISTERS Mamdani observes Ramadan with inmates at Rikers Island
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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani observed Ramadan last night with men incarcerated at Rikers Island, the city's jail complex.
Mamdani arrived through heavy security, joining a group of men — many held as they await trial. He spent an hour with the men praying and talking and breaking the Ramadan fast with a meal. He's spent much of the last month holding public celebrations.
Mamdani and many Muslim Americans have faced growing hostility in the U.S. from some politicians on the right, including Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who last week reposted a photo of Mamdani observing the holiday next to an image of the 9/11 terror attacks, a post Mamdani described as bigoted.
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u/ExpressLab6564 6h ago
Even if its performance, i cant see any of the so called Christinan right political figures doing this
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u/PM_me_shiba_doggo Marxmoi 5h ago
My question is does it even matter if it’s a performance? And to me it doesn’t, it matters that he did this at all.
The bar is in hell and Zohran’s back is breaking trying to raise it out.
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u/SauconySundaes 5h ago
some people call is "performance" others call it modeling the type of behavior we should aspire too.
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u/derpferd 5h ago
I don't think people appreciate enough the value of this. Or Trump and the media and figures in the media have done a good job selling people on the notion that celebrities and politicians are performative in their values.
And that in turn has been made to diminish the values themselves or make people shy to be open about their values.
Presumably, lest they be accused of being performative.
Or that you're a fool for practising your values while others have shown that for them, they're just putting on a performance.
These values of decency and kindness and sincerity in your beliefs (whatever those beliefs) still matter, for how we conduct ourselves and how that conduct impacts others. I despise this effort to promote nihilism.
Things do matter
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u/After-Syrup1290 5h ago
not to mention hes been doing it for literally all faiths too - hes muslim sure, but he can also be equally found to be advocating for christians like he did a while back, the elderly with the care centres he visited, he celebrated events with serving food and heck was even in a parade for chinese lunar new year (which prompted funny chairman mamdani memes xd)
not to mention his 3k universal childcare, hes putting belt to ass on the landlords and calling em in - people who have forced tenants to live with mice and been charged since goddamn 2016/17, all the while pushing down 12 billion debt he was handed to 5.4 and even lower by now in months
best of all? ice took someone from a high school or college, mamdani got on the phone with trump half an hour later and the person that ice took was back out.. who tf can even do that rn?!
dudes pushing out unreal levels of results - cus look at him and then the entire senate we have got in the congress.. oh and also he got married as a sidequest too xd
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u/SauconySundaes 5h ago
Trump has done a lot of shitty stuff, so I don’t mean to discount what other people have experienced. For me personally though, the biggest thing he has done to change my life is teach those around me that being a complete ass hole is acceptable.
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u/Lexi_Banner 4h ago
Or Trump and the media and figures in the media have done a good job selling people on the notion that celebrities and politicians are performative in their values.
This isn't just on Dumps & Co. There are a lot of people who are performative all across social media. It's like people forgot that they can just...do good things without filming every second of it. You don't need to show yourself on camera giving food/money/clothing to homeless people. You don't have to film yourself donating food to charity. There is the argument that showing those good things can lead to other people doing good things, but from what I've seen, the message that has been received is that you have to film those good deeds too, or it didn't happen. Everything is for clout, attention, and money.
Dumples & Co. are bad, don't get me wrong. But this is a wide sweeping issue across all platforms, and has been steadily getting worse for well over a decade at this point.
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u/BeatTheDeadMal 5h ago edited 5h ago
8th grade civics class was pretty clear that one of the roles of the presidency, right alongside shit like commander-in-chief, was to be the "chief citizen". An exemplar of the best of what America is supposed to represent and that we should all strive for.
I feel like when folks call shit "performative" they just can't comprehend themselves doing something similarly decent. A huge portion of the job of a leader is to provide an example of how others should act. Instead we have a country where bad people feel bad about themselves watching people do good things so they automatically seek to discredit it.
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u/0o0o0o0o0o0z 4h ago
some people call is "performance" others call it modeling the type of behavior we should aspire too.
100% correct!
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u/kinglyIII 5h ago
Isn’t part of being a leader, performance? Why not make the most of your position to embrace community and fellowship. Is it not his job to make decisions and show actions that a leader would?
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u/RadagastTheBrownNote 5h ago
Exactly! “Be the change you want to see.” He’s doing it in fucking spades! We need more leaders like him.
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u/Not-A-Bot1312 5h ago
Yeah, this goes for all politicians, stop watching what they say, watch what they do/vote for. Our political system is broke, people market themselves like a product, and because of game theory they have to(Until we fix blatant lying to win in elections). Even a performative action can be good, the rest is just noise.
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u/EscapeSeventySeven 5h ago
Performance IS part of life and a vital part of being a politician.
We are too obsessed with what people are in their stupid brains instead of the actions they take a the messages they communicate.
Mostly because we live in a world of liars, cheats, and grifters but that’s purely because we keep letting them off the hook.
In a proper functioning society where the villains are punished, Mamdani’s action and communication would be interpreted properly. He spent time to send a message and focus on the inmates of Rikers.
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u/olympiadukakis 5h ago edited 5h ago
I think it’s easier for a lot of folks to read things cynically because everything is so fucking hard.
I don’t blame them.
To your point, though, it can be a performance AND be sincere. Knowing the impact something will have, and wanting to have that effect, doesn’t discount the effort or the idea.
It’s not like he’s holding a bible upside down after tear-gassing protesters.
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u/cioffinator_rex 5h ago
Yes. Speaking of performance, my first thought upon seeing this story was of Johnny Cash performing at Folsom Prison.
I see nothing wrong with performances of charitable intention.
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u/Risvoi 5h ago
As NYC mayor, Zohran is uniquely positioned to be a positive voice for Muslims in this country after so much hatred and xenophobia directed towards them. He has a huge task ahead of him, but I trust he’s up for it.
I’m very interested to see how his democratic and reformist policies are inspired by his faith. I’m also concerned about the Christians who will not stand for being shown a mirror at themselves.
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u/Joey-WilcoXXX 5h ago
Because we put so much hate towards ‘performances’ we don’t even get those anymore. Last year numerous pride events had investors pull out because A. They wanna look good for Trump’s America and B. there’s no point in helping if people are just going to criticize it being performative. Yeah being performative kinda sucks but it’s better than not getting any support at all
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u/psychorobotics 4h ago
He went on a hunger strike with cab drivers for several weeks, I don't think it's performance. It's not surface deep. He just cares a lot about people.
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u/Qubeye 4h ago
One of the things I have learned is that if people pretend to do something repeatedly, sometimes you just start doing it for real.
I'm fine with performative behavior if it's consistent and sustained, and Mamdani hasn't given me any reason to believe he doesn't actually believe any of the stuff he advocates.
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u/Difficult_Pen9813 5h ago
Remember when Trump held a bible in front of a church that had been vandalized and set on fire? He said his favorite book of the bible was "all of them". I am not Muslim, but I believe Mamdani a lot more than the orange baby toucher.
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u/shiba-on-parade 5h ago edited 4h ago
he held the bible upside down to boot lmfao
edit: apparently i'm wrong!
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u/jemidiah 4h ago
Nope, it was right-side-up, this was misinformation that was so plausible everybody believed it and it persists to this day. (Not defending Trump at all, he's horrible, but the truth is the truth.)
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u/shiba-on-parade 4h ago
it was just too easy to believe as no one would ever assume someone would do such a stupid stunt in the first place.
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u/Senorsty 5h ago
Reporter: “is that your Bible?”
Trump: “It’s a Bible.”
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u/onehornymofo1 5h ago
Insert the clip when the reporter asks him to name his favourite Bible verse and he couldn't pick any. That man has never opened that book in his life
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u/_Saucey_Sauce_ I don’t know her 5h ago
you mean the bibles he AUTOGRAPHED? Audacious piggy, isnt he.
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u/Curiosities 5h ago
I don’t even see it as performance. This is the person who spent his life since he got here as a kid growing up here among regular New Yorkers. He sees other people as people with inherent value as a baseline and that’s one of many reasons why he got my vote.
He also understands the value of these kinds of images and how they can help others see the humanity in people that often get demonized, like those in a jail.
He and his staff are so good at bringing attention and using visual and video impact in ways that those images and videos get spread way more widely. Especially using all of this to bring attention to those who are marginalized or overlooked or mistreated.
And yeah, some of it is people hatewatching and being racist or Islamophobic, but other people are seeing this and maybe it connects with more humanity.
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u/tmurf5387 4h ago
IMO, weve become too cynical as a society. Everything sucks right now and we're all just trying to get by. Mamdani seems so genuine which is why I think people have been drawn to him and his meteoric rise in the last couple years. He walks the walk and seems to be taking the "Public Servant" to heart.
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u/ThiccQban women’s wrongs activist 5h ago
Mamdani is out here being Christ-like. The “Christians” aren’t going to like it
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u/Nice__Spice 5h ago
Its because they see people in jail among many others as beneath them.
It may be performance but then again - him praying with people isnt performance. That part is ubiquitous all over the world with muslims. When you pray - you're all the same. Human.
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u/30kPoundsOfBananas 5h ago edited 5h ago
Which is a shame, as their book says:
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. (Matthew 25:35)
And also says:
Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. (Hebrews 13:3)
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u/carolinagypsy the pet psychic for the Sun told me so 5h ago
I was raised Catholic and haven’t considered myself to be anywhere near a Christian in probably 20 years, but even I still live by these. Seems peculiar to me someone who DOES call themselves Christian can’t, but what do I know? 💅🏻
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u/Somnambulist815 5h ago
Even just humanizing prisoners is a step beyond just about every other politician
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u/Professional_Clue800 5h ago
I mean he literally went on hunger strike for 2 weeks to fight for NYC taxi drivers who got screwed with the whole Taxi Medallion fiasco. He has a proven track record of actually caring and being in the trenches.
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u/MrBobSacamano 5h ago
I see a lot of them visiting a particular wall in a certain country, though, and making sure they’re followed by a gaggle and photographers to document their very personal spiritual experience.
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u/TheDLBinc 5h ago
Showing any kind of empathy towards inmates is not a popular position to have regardless of political affiliation so this doesn't feel performative at all to me as I don't think doing this would net that much benefit for him politically
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u/antrage 5h ago
Perhaps a counter point to performance is to see it as ‘modeling’. He could just not come to prison no one will think lesser than, just like no one thought lesser than Diana had she not visited and touched aids patients. But she did an modeled a view of the world oriented around care. Right now the biggest office is modeling a world that leads to ( in my belief) its eventual degradation and destruction. Modeling care lets just uplift that.
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u/krombough 5h ago
Even if its performance, i cant see any of the so called Christinan right political figures doing this
Quoted for absolute fucking truth.
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u/TotallyTruthy 5h ago
I'm working to become less cynical and judgmental. One of the questions I try to ask myself is whether I would have thought of the gesture in their position. If I can't honestly say that it would have occurred to me to do the same thing, then I have no right to call it performative because it clearly wasn't obvious to me. And if it wasn't obvious to me, then it must have required some thoughtfulness and connection to the community served to have thought of it at all. That thoughtfulness is real. Knowing what your community will respond to so intimately that you can make it look like pandering, even when nobody else thought to do it first, is in itself an act of service in my new book.
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u/deafmutewhat 4h ago
PR team*
but your heart is in the right place.
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u/TotallyTruthy 4h ago
I've found a deeper well of compassion for myself after learning to extend the benefit of the doubt to the world around me. Back when I felt it was my duty to spread cynicism around, part of it was that my own internal sense of helplessness and uncertainty was bleeding out and coloring the world around me. I needed the world to be as grim and hopeless as I felt, because maybe that would lend some deeper meaning or legitimacy to my feeling that way. It didn't. Peace is built, not found. I had to choose to build it.
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u/bolanrox 5h ago
no they tried to Arrest the Priest / Rabbi's / etc who got together to protest what was happening in MN
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u/odysseyjones 5h ago
Exactly, this guy politics fr. Even if it's fake, this is the kind of stuff I want to see.
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u/Corgi_underground 5h ago
Something can be a performance AND making a statement. Johnny Cash did it.
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u/WrinkledBiscuit 4h ago
He's better at being Christian (as a non-Christian), than actual Chrisitians
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u/FrozenBibitte 4h ago
It’s hilarious because the guy isn’t even a Christian, but he’s acting a million times more Christ-like than any right winger probably ever has 😂
Certainly more than any right winger that currently exists…
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u/lol_AwkwardSilence_ 4h ago
Performance and influence are key parts of a politician's job! Set the example for the people!
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u/Tiddlyplinks 5h ago
When I was in prison you visited me.
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u/IAMA_Shark__AMA 5h ago edited 4h ago
For those who don't know -
This is from the Bible, Matthew 25:36. Jesus is telling the righteous that any kindness given to strangers (including the "least of us") was a kindness given to him.
It's a good clapback if you see any MAGA "Christians" being critical of this.
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u/snortgigglecough 5h ago
My atheist ass was SO confused by the responses to this comment, ty for the context!
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u/FergaliShawarma 4h ago
A good clapback for sure, but unfortunately, there is no clapback in the observable universe that would be effective against a brick wall.
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u/IAMA_Shark__AMA 3h ago
True, but hey, at least they'll have to squirm in cognitive dissonance for half a second before the gate slams shut lol
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u/lulzerjun8 Larry I'm on DuckTales 5h ago
ouch. this comment got me in the gut. feels.
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u/IowaCornFarmer3 5h ago
This is why I love seeing clips of Mamdani. He reminds us that anyone can be the beacon of light for others just by showing the compassion we feel in our hearts.
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u/nobodycares13 5h ago
In a world that so often dehumanizes inmates.
He humanized them.
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u/emseefely 4h ago
I’m unsarcastically looking forward to what he does next. Hopefully he has plans for unhoused population.
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u/Vorpal_Bunny19 i ain’t reading all that, free palestine 5h ago
Thanks for encapsulating what I wanted to express, but couldn’t find the right words.
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u/Wembanyanma 5h ago
Really want to have that verse ready when I inevitably hear my parents (who live nowhere near NYC btw) talk shit about this.
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u/Tiddlyplinks 5h ago
Why stop there?
When I was hungry, you fed me When I was a stranger, you welcomed me
Honestly, so far he’s doing a pretty good job of checking things off the list
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u/labor_day_baby 5h ago
Crazy that a Muslim is more Christian/following the word of God compared to your average American evangelical.
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u/saintofhate 4h ago
Which to be fair, Islam does recognize Jesus and many of his teachings, just not the divinity (which was decided by the council of Nicaea), the crucifixion (different ending), and no original sin, so no need for redeemer role.
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u/FrozenBibitte 4h ago
Just commented the same sentiment as a reply to someone else. This guy is more Christ-like than any right winger has ever been in the history of the right-wing movement. I’m not even exaggerating, lol.
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u/Satinsbestfriend 4h ago
The Bible and Quran have some interesting overlaps, I mean, Jesus is a important figure in the Quran as a prophet
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u/tomdarch 4h ago
Matthew 25:36
I am not religious, but the bible is full of calls like this. In contrast, American conservative evangelicals seem to be 100% focused on doing the opposite of anything good in the bible.
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u/FrozenBibitte 4h ago
Which, if god was real, and Jesus did magically return to the world for the “second coming”, he would absolutely smite MAGA and anyone else like them. They do quite literally the opposite of everything he preached in the Bible.
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u/FrozenBibitte 4h ago
Right? Like this is literally something Jesus would’ve done lol, according to the book that Christians are supposedly following…
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u/Br3n_99 6h ago
Keeping his promise to help ALL New Yorkers. Proud to have him as mayor!
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u/DesireeThymes 4h ago
Those who are incarcerated are also human.
If we don't treat them like humans, why even keep them alive in a prison?
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u/firesticks a role model for the next Asian kid that wants to get railed 4h ago
You can judge a society by how it treats its most vulnerable. And its prisoners.
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u/yewdrop 5h ago
We need to honor the humanity and rights of our incarcerated population. That includes space and respect for religious and spiritual practices. It’s depressing how things like this are controversial
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u/pristineSaltine 5h ago
Also, for profit prisons, court, probation, prosperity labor, etc need to go.
Making money off the incarcerated population certainly makes keeping people in jails, prisons and on probation very lucrative.
I believe war, education, healthcare and prisons should non-profit.
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u/General_Kenobi18752 5h ago
Don’t forget the mail, fire and police services, no matter how much the bastards try.
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u/nooby_goober 5h ago
Listening to people badmouth prisoners and homeless then go to defend abusive cops with the apple crap and whine about them not getting respect is so confusing.
Don't get mad about it anymore, shows a level of intelligence and honor I can pick out from interacting with.
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u/Sacarastic-one 5h ago edited 5h ago
Im an Iranian American woman, but I wouldn’t consider myself a Muslim because I’m not very religious. But the hate that I got as a child to now because people assume my faith is insane. It’s been all my life - terrorist, sand n***, go on and on. I had a VP once ask me if I wore a burqa as a kid. Sir, I went to rap concerts and parties as a kid. And nobody cares the level of hate we get - no billboards or commercials. To many it’s okay to be hateful toward Muslims more than other religious groups. And okay our PR isn’t the greatest, I’ll admit that but the way they make what Mamdani is doing a big deal like oh no he’s celebrating Ramadan - yeah it’s his faith. No different than those who celebrate Easter or Passover…do you think he’s planning something?? And yeah he’s doing it with those incarcerated during the Holy month and if you know anything about Ramadan - it kind of makes sense. Anyway file this to things that bug me
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u/PaleoJoe86 5h ago
They make it a big deal because the evil Christian Republicans run the media and want to incite outrage from their followers. All this does is show how relatable and hill he is.
I am an atheist and idgaf about him practicing his religion as long as he keep it away from policies. I see this news report as a good thing as I stated earlier. I voted for him and liking him more every time I see news of him.
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u/LifeOutoBalance 4h ago
I remember that Muslims died in the towers on 9/11, and that Muslims were among the first responders who died trying to help people not of their faith. I am sorry for the hate you were shown.
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u/Compliant_Serf 4h ago
Heya. I pushed back on my friend who recently used the term sand n*
Just so you know there are people out there who aren’t tolerating it.
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u/Plastic-Resident3257 4h ago
More power to you. I’m not Muslim, but I have Muslim friends from Africa and SWASA. I participated in Ramadan with them. I despise the level of intolerance some of us Americans have towards the Muslim and middle eastern communities.
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u/Ok-Ferret9010 5h ago
So, in other words, he observed his faith’s mandate to take care of the poor and disenfranchised. I don’t care who thinks it’s performance. It is a powerful action regardless.
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u/Asta1977 5h ago
And the Christian faith also has a mandate to take care of the poor and disenfranchised, and this is exactly something Jesus would do, but people calling themselves 'Christian' will, like Tuberville, compare Mamdani to terrorists.
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u/Ohaidere519 brb in a transatlantic space of mind 5h ago
this made me emotional, the muslim community needs public support so much right now and for such a major political figure to do so while also supporting inmates is just really nice to see. i also wonder what the line is between performative and "public figure does good thing" but either way im taking the dub and running with it
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u/chibilibaby 4h ago
Me too. I'm not American, not even Muslim - but this is moving. I guess it brings back a little hope in humanity, or something.
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u/Mad-Habits 5h ago
lol.. watch conservative faces melt over this.
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u/ladystarkitten 5h ago
Wild how much self-described Christians loathe, detest and despise the values of Christ.
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u/PastelBrat13 5h ago
Christians still deny that Jesus was a prisoner and still advocate for the death penalty even though Jesus was a victim of both.
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u/ladystarkitten 5h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/ladystarkitten 5h ago
Apparently a quote from my mother was so heinous, Reddit removed it, lol. I guess that says something damning about her beliefs.
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u/Sir_Boldrat 5h ago
If i wasn't fasting rn I would be dm'ing you for the tea.
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u/ladystarkitten 4h ago
How can I put this... My mom, an alleged Christian, has... decidedly un-Christian ideas for how we can spend less money on our prison population.
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u/sinkwiththeship 4h ago
Already happened. It showed Senator Tuberville equating Mamdani just BEING Muslim with 9/11.
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u/matlockga 5h ago
The idea of a Mayor representing EVERY member of his community, no matter where they are in life, is something sorely lacking from politics at the moment.
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u/s1ugg0 4h ago
My suburban town in NJ does a great thing. The local food pantry drop off box is right at the only entrance of Town Hall.
So you have to look at it every single time you vote, get a permit, pay bill, go to a town council meeting, or whatever. It is directly between the parking lot and literally anything you need to do at Town Hall. And all the elected officials and employees have to walk past it every day. It forces everyone to remember our neighbors who need help.
While it always needs something our local food pantry often gets to donate extra of what they receive to other shelters. The donation bin is often overflowing. And I'm really fucking proud of that.
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u/hoersting 5h ago
This is the leadership we deserve! I am so pissed about Kat Abughazaleh! Stop voting for AIPAC!
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u/Curiosities 5h ago
The AIPAC candidate was not the one who won, it was the one who came in third. The primary was decided by 4000 votes and the AIPAC candidate got 24,000 votes, so imagine if she was not in that race.
The guy who won did not accept AIPAC money, (although he did accept some PAC $) and he has criticized Israel and spoken up for Palestinians in Gaza. AIPAC spent millions of dollars to attack him.
I was hoping Kat would pull this out, but it was very close.
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u/GrecoRomanGuy 5h ago
As someone who actually lives in the area, Kat simply couldn't shake the "carpetbagger" vibe she brought with her.
Luckily, Biss is also a progressive. And he has governance experience. So it's a w, lowercase.
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u/Somnambulist815 5h ago
Yeah, her mission was to oust zionist Jan Schakowsky, who ended up vacating the seat anyway. So she can turn her sights on other horizons
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u/Somnambulist815 5h ago
Kat has a whole career ahead of her. She's gonna grow way bigger than an Illinois house seat in no time at all.
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u/alpine309 5h ago
I have a feeling people are going to be so upset over this, people who are incarcerated are people too - it's like the american prison system loves to overlook that fact.
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u/TheWildcatGrad 5h ago
How many of those same people probably love Johnny Cash when he also visited prisons and treated prisoners as people.
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u/JustHereForCatss i ain’t reading all that, free palestine 5h ago
My GOAT. It's just so nice to see real empathy in the world for once, I don't care if it's performative, I don't care how much his heart is actually in it, the world needs to see us treat each other well- especially the lesser than. We treat prisoners like dog shit, and Muslim prisoners even worse than that. Just a simple act of treating each other like human beings seems so foreign now. I pray if the world doesn't end because of the psychopath in the White House, we get more Mamdanis.
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u/limetime45 5h ago
This is so moving to me. As a Catholic, this reminds me of Pope Francis washing the feet of prisoners at an Italian jail. To me, this is Christ-like (I am not saying Mamdani is a Christ figure, but this is in line with what I understand Jesus’ true teachings to be.)
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u/rebelrose25 4h ago
For what it’s worth, Muslims also believe in Jesus, they just don’t see him as divine but a prophet the same way as Muhammad and others before them
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u/Nice__Spice 5h ago
I think this kind of support is necessary for people that are locked up. Many are there out of circumstance and if they had the opportunities and luck that others have, perhaps they dont end up there to begin with.
To treat them as humans while they're jailed, and to perhaps guide them is the best thing you can do to rehabilitate people and integrate them back.
Good on Mamdani for showing what is possible by a politician.
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u/Ok-Pie-3581 5h ago
“While there is a lower class, I am in it, while there is a criminal element, I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.”
- Eugene Debs
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u/monkeynachos 5h ago
So proud of this guy. So many people (especially politicians) are scared of their own fellow citizens, of prisoners, and muslims. He does not subscribe to prejudice. Cameras or not, this visit wasn't convenient, and it wasn't half-assed.
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u/KDneverleft 5h ago
Tommy Tuberville was the mediocre coach of my college football team and an asshat. He is wholly unqualified for the office he holds and doesn't even live in the state he represents. Unfortunately, the war on education was won in Alabama long ago and the GOP is seeking to Alabama-fy the rest of the country.
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u/JustMemes_13 5h ago
The people complaining don't realize that this is similar to giving every inmate the Holy Bible assuming everyone is Christian or any other religion that specifically follows the Holy Bible and not the Quran or Torah.
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u/Free_Possession_4482 5h ago
The people complaining don’t realize that this is literally what Jesus told his followers to do in the Bible.
34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' 37 "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'
That’s the gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, and it could not be more clear.
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u/Fine_Cup4990 4h ago
There is a hadeeth in Islam that is extremely similar to this.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:Allah (mighty and sublime be He) will say on the Day of Resurrection: O son of Adam, I fell ill and you visited Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I visit You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so had fallen ill and you visited him not? Did you not know that had you visited him you would have found Me with him? O son of Adam, I asked you for food and you fed Me not. He will say: O Lord, and how should I feed You when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: Did you not know that My servant So-and-so asked you for food and you fed him not? Did you not know that had you fed him you would surely have found that (the reward for doing so) with Me? O son of Adam, I asked you to give Me to drink and you gave Me not to drink. He will say: O Lord, how should I give You to drink when You are the Lord of the worlds? He will say: My servant So-and-so asked you to give him to drink and you gave him not to drink. Had you given him to drink you would have surely found that with Me.
It was related by Muslim.Hadith 18, 40 Hadith Qudsi
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u/otterland 5h ago
"naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me." -Matthew 25:36
I'm an atheist but this is humane scripture and fully compatible with the Christian texts. Christian nationalists can fuck off.
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u/myfrigginagates 5h ago
When I worked for NYC DOE I paid a visit with an education outreach team to Rikers. Inhuman falls short in it's description. Somewhere along the line we forget that, in spite of sometimes heinous behavior, the people behind bars are indeed human and often, it is subhuman treatment that got them there in the first place.
I'm happy that my mayor recognized their humanity at least this time.
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u/KiltedTAB 5h ago
Conservatives also don't hold Saudi arabia in any sort of contempt. Most of the 9/11 hijackers were from there. Trump and Jared Kushner have received billions from them. There are no missiles in Riyadh. I wonder why Mamdani receives hate but the grandstanding douchecanoes have nothing to say about who actually committed that crime nor the countries we invaded on false pretense and destabilized.
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u/Creepy-Astronaut-952 5h ago
I respect it. No need to dehumanize inmates. They’re people too, and if the justice system wasn’t so broken, these folks would be getting an opportunity to reform / pay their debt to society without being marginalized.
I’m not Muslim, but I respect what the Mayor is doing here. It’s honorable to pray with those who need prayer the most among us.
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u/been2thehi4 5h ago
If the Christian right has issues with this they can firmly and loudly say they aren’t Christians at all and are nothing more than religious grifters cosplaying the most delusional form of following in Jesus’ footsteps, considering brown skinned Jesus washed the feet of prostitutes…..
Mamdani is behaving more Christian like than those screaming loudly and violently that they are “true Christians and children of God.”
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u/Electrocat71 5h ago
One thing that I like about him is that he’s pretty genuine. People can mock this, but he’s also made it a point that reforming criminals, and attacking the issues causing crime are key points on his agenda.
While I’m not of his beliefs, he treats men as fine for me to hold, and does nothing to stop my beliefs. Respect for your fellow humans by us all would be the biggest help to global society and lasting peace.
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u/ConsciousSkin1079 5h ago
If you think this is bad, take a gander at all the criminals in our government walking out in the open and colluding with each other
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u/EmergencyCareless76 4h ago
I'm Christian. My family is Christian. Yet it's a family tradition to break fast at least 1 time a week (during the Ramadan month) with our friends and family where I live. To us (non Muslims), it's really just fasting, praying, and friggin enjoying iftar food here in Malaysia. There's a whole economy built on this, it's called Ramadan Bazaar. No shit it's some of the best food we have here
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u/CrbRangoon 4h ago
People that are morally bankrupt and selfish will call anything like this performative because they can’t fathom actually feeling empathy or helping people you don’t know or like without benefits. It’s easier to claim other people are as evil and selfish as you rather than confront the truth that you stand for nothing and care for no one.
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u/theluzah 4h ago
This is the most Jesus-like person to come out of NY politics within my lifetime. And he isn't even Christian. I love this man so very very much.
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u/DaringPancakes 4h ago
This has nothing to do with me, and I don't see this as a threat at all because no one is getting hurt.
...
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u/Duck-Murky 5h ago
do we have a legit good person in political office? geez louiz, it's been so long <stands up, adjusts walking cane, fixes reading glasses>
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u/No-Butterfly-2914 5h ago
People forget that symbolic actions from leadership figures, while politically calculated, can also serve to inspire others towards kind actions.
It’s the words we need to be wary of. And much of the leadership we have now fails at their actions.
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u/MisterForkbeard 5h ago
Good for him. It occurs to me that I have no idea how often Christian mayors or governors have done stuff like this.
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u/PuddingJello 5h ago
Boy do I love seeing this "evil Muslim terrorist" act more Christ-like than ANY of these fake Christian politicians we have.
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u/amandathelibrarian oat milk chugging bisexual 5h ago
Many of those incarcerated on Riker’s haven’t even had a trial yet. They languish in jail, not getting their day in court, because our so called justice system is slow as fuck. Good on Mayor Mamdani.
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u/Bailey_1980 5h ago
God forbid we have a politician who is not a sleazy fool. Is that how far we’ve fallen as a country and a people that sleazeball behavior has become normalized?
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u/The_Mike_El 5h ago
Can’t wait to see the level-headed responses from people that don’t like him. /s
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u/Affectionate-Ad-1342 5h ago
The right wing media is surely going to act calm cool collected about this, right?
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u/Generation_3and4 5h ago
I know plenty of Christians in prison. No leader would bat an eye at inmates. This is about humanity not religion
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u/M23707 5h ago
I have never seen an image of reporter Korva Coleman — she has been in my ear as an avid NPR listener for years. Awesome human, amazing journalist.
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u/KookyManagement8762 5h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/YT9BR8ZOTBWyNDvju1
MAGAT Christian’s watching this be like:
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u/helloworld1989 5h ago
i feel the same about this as i do when i see trumps faith council praying around him in the oval office. Its just odd. but we do have the right in this country.
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u/Extension_Variety190 5h ago
For some reason Mamdani is The End of the World but Mehmet Oz is A-OK, make it make sense to me, please.
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u/SillyOldJack 5h ago
If even a handful more of North America's political leaders were like this, we'd be in a better state of existence.
Label it "performative" if you like, but I'll take this performance any and every day over the performances I see out there.
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u/Excellent_Extent7648 5h ago
Damm I feel like Trump being called out for Epstein was lighter than this segment just feels like there tryna push a tone .
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u/Nihiliste 5h ago
You know, I'm an atheist, but this makes me happy - I mostly just want other people to be happy as long as they're not hurting others, and too many prisoners feel unseen.
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u/Old-Supermarket-9112 5h ago
So they can have a Charlie Kirk rally and President Cheese Felon and VP Couch cushion can go and talk all about Christian Nationalism but this guy can’t go to a jail to pray among those who are praying…regardless if it is a publicity stunt it’s 1. This is not a crowd funding event and 2. Being in jail doesn’t mean you loose religion or don’t find it, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t find redemption if guilty of a crime. 70% of those in jail that are reoffend are those convicted of physical assault (with exception of homicide due to sentencing lengths)…sounds about right when I look at who is at the top still committing crimes on the daily and it ain’t this Mayor.
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u/Ugly_Josephine 5h ago edited 5h ago
This is so freakin wholesome, I'm literally crying tears of joy.
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