By: Fern Sidman

A disturbing video resurfaced this week showing a former intern for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani openly glorifying jihad and encouraging young activists to embrace arrest, suspension, and doxing in defiance of Western society. As The New York Post reported on Monday, the video has sparked fresh concerns about the radicalization of pro-Palestinian activism in New York City—and about the extremist undertones now surfacing among some of its most vocal participants.

The figure at the center of the controversy is Hadeeqa Malik, a student at the City College of New York (CCNY), who previously interned for Mamdani’s State Assembly office in the summer of 2024. According to the information provided in The New York Post report, Malik’s LinkedIn profile openly lists her role with Mamdani, and a selfie of the two smiling together only further highlights her proximity to the Democratic Socialist politician now seeking to lead the city.

In the video, which Malik herself posted ten months ago, she declares during a CUNY4Palestine webinar titled “Islamic Political Activism,” “The true believer knows that none of this is in vain, that this is all Jihad.” As The New York Post report emphasized, Malik’s choice of language—invoking jihad, a term frequently associated with holy war—has drawn widespread alarm.

She went further, dismissing fears of arrest or social backlash, asking her viewers rhetorically, “So the conversation of doxing, the conversation of getting arrested and suspended, I think it’s time for Muslims to start to say alright, alright so what?”

The Post underscored the broader concern that Malik’s rhetoric reflects an extremist fervor—not merely a call for humanitarian advocacy on behalf of Gaza’s civilians, but a deeper hostility couched in religious and political aggression.

Her comments included harsh words for fellow Muslims who remain disengaged from activism. Referring to issues like “genocide and colonization and settler colonialism,” Malik castigated those who have not joined the protest movements. “If you’re not seeing this as your issue to deal with, then something is wrong, there is an illness, there is a disease, something messing up the system inside that’s telling you this isn’t your business,” she said, according to The New York Post report.

This unhinged Radical Islamist who was seen verbally harassing NYPD officers is none other than
Zohran Mamdani’s intern –
Hadeeqa Arzoo Malik.
This is what the liberals want here? Honestly…they’ll be the FIRST to be taken out! Rooftop rallies will be in full swing! pic.twitter.com/0UbA08hIN9

— PRgirlinAZ aka mi _bella_novela (@PRgirlinAz) July 8, 2025

In an especially provocative segment, Malik dared her audience to embrace the risk of retaliation. “How gangster are you?… And I know everybody has their own families and has an education and everything, it’s just a question,” she posed, questioning their willingness to face suspension, doxing, or arrest in pursuit of activism.

Malik concluded her remarks with an ominous assertion: “When you’re doing something for the sake of Allah here in the West it will never, ever be in vain, and the true believer does not fear that.”

While the original recording of the webinar was later set to private on YouTube, a full repost remains in circulation, raising questions about accountability among political and activist groups connected to Malik.

Zohran Mamdani’s former employee, Hadeeqa Arzoo Malik, calls for a “jihad.”

This is why I keep calling Mamdani a jihadist.

Cause that’s what he is.pic.twitter.com/G47QQH7L7E

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) July 9, 2025

As The New York Post report detailed, Malik’s activist resume extends far beyond her internship with Mamdani. She has been actively involved with Columbia University’s Palestine protests and serves as president of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at CCNY. She also claims affiliations with the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) as an Outreach Coordinator and holds a Racial Justice Fellowship at the Colin Powell School for Civil and Global Leadership.

Despite her growing presence within these influential circles, neither Mamdani nor CAIR responded to The New York Post’s inquiries regarding Malik’s affiliations. Malik herself also declined to comment.

However, this isn’t the first time Malik has been caught in controversy. As The New York Post reported, another video surfaced earlier this year showing Malik berating a Muslim NYPD officer during a pro-Hamas rally. The footage captured her aggressively leading a chant, shouting, “Let’s read the badges of the pigs,” as she taunted officers.

She singled out a visibly uncomfortable Muslim officer, appearing to shame him for his participation in law enforcement. “To the pigs who can call themselves by the name of Islam—put some respect on their names!” Malik jeered. The incident concluded with the officer stepping back while Malik’s supporters mocked him, a scene The New York Post report described as both chilling and revealing of Malik’s deep animosity toward those in uniform.

While it is clear that Malik does not speak for every pro-Hamas activist—or indeed for every Muslim New Yorker—the language and conduct captured in these videos raise pressing concerns about the nature of some factions within the protest movement. As The New York Post report pointed out, Malik’s rhetoric suggests that her activism is driven by something far more insidious than concern for humanitarian rights in Gaza.

Instead, she projects a brand of activism steeped in religious militancy, disdain for law enforcement, and a glorification of conflict under the banner of jihad. As The New York Post report argued, this is the kind of rhetoric that could tarnish legitimate calls for Palestinian rights and alienate those who support peaceful protest and civic engagement.

Of course, as The New York Post report noted, Mamdani is not responsible for the words or actions of every intern who has passed through his office. Yet Malik’s proximity to him—and her role in groups aligned with his political orbit—raises uncomfortable questions about the kinds of individuals being drawn to his campaign and the values they espouse.

Even more concerning is the extent to which Malik has managed to embed herself within key activist networks, from CAIR to campus organizations, all while espousing a radical worldview that embraces agitation, hostility, and religious extremism.

The disturbing rhetoric Malik expressed should serve as a wake-up call—not only for political figures like Mamdani but also for the broader activist community. If those advocating for Palestinian rights wish to maintain moral credibility, they must distance themselves from voices that glorify violence, threaten law enforcement, and hijack legitimate causes for extremist ends.

The unsettling reality, as The New York Post report observed, is that extremism is no longer confined to the fringes. It is increasingly finding a platform in mainstream activist spaces, bolstered by young figures like Malik who appear willing to blur the lines between advocacy and incitement.

In the end, this controversy serves as a sobering reminder: while peaceful protest remains a bedrock of democratic society, the embrace of radicalism—even in the name of justice—can quickly erode the very foundations activists claim to defend.