How Zohran Mamdani Rekindled My Faith in Politics
Disappointed by Obama, I had come to view politics as little more than performance — until a talk with my mother-in-law challenged that belief.
The Night of Mamdani’s Victory
A celebration was in full swing at the familiar Bohemian Hall Beer Garden in Astoria, minutes before closing. I threw on the nearest shirt, still marked with milk stains, jumped on a Citi Bike, and made my way there as quickly as possible.
In a daze, I wandered through the space filled with Mamdani supporters, bumping into long-lost friends and acquaintances. We all hovered somewhere between shock and pure elation.
“Oh my god, I’m still wearing them now!”
I laughed while holding out my retainers to a couple I had just met, realizing how surreal and spontaneous the night had become.
Rediscovering Political Hope
Suddenly, I found myself ready to give the chaotic, often dehumanizing political system another chance. The last time I felt such hope was in 2008, when Barack Obama won the presidency — but Zohran Mamdani was nothing like Obama.
Back then, I was a 22-year-old college senior, unsure of who I was or where I stood politically. My parents had instilled in me a sense of what it meant to be Egyptian, Muslim, and deeply conscious of injustice — especially the Israeli occupation and Western interference in the Middle East.
Resonance Beyond Politics
Mamdani’s rise reminded me that politics could still be rooted in empathy, community, and courage, even after years of disappointment and cynicism.
Author’s summary: A personal account of how one night at a local victory party reignited a lost belief in meaningful, people-driven politics.