Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville from Alabamaposted on social media: "The enemy is inside the gates" upon learning thatZohran Mamdanibecame the first mayor of New York Cityto be sworn in using a Quran.
The Quran is the primary religious text of Islam, akin to the Christian Bible. Mamdani is thefirst Muslim mayor of New York, the nation's largest city.
Tuberville, a conservative football coach-turned-politician,has a history of making anti-Muslim statements, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City
On Dec. 14,the GOP lawmaker wrote on X, "Islam is not a religion. It's a cult. Islamists aren't here to assimilate. They're here to conquer." Several months prior, Tuberville gave a speech on the Senate floor with a "BAN SHARIA LAW" poster. Sharia is Islamic religious law.
More:Mamdani uses Qurans for mayoral oath, putting Muslim faith on display
"Part of the reason that Senator Tuberville continues to express such dangerous hatred against American Muslims and utter ignorance about Islam is his refusal to accept the Alabama Muslim community's months-old invitation to visit a Birmingham mosque, learn about his American Muslim constituents, and ask any questions on his mind," CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Mitchellsaid in a public statement in October.
More:Amid attacks on his faith, Zohran Mamdani excites Muslim, South Asian voters
Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist,has criticized Islamophobic commentsfrom his political adversaries.
Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tuberville says 'enemy is inside the gates' as Mamdani takes office
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