Aber Kawas, a 33‑year‑old Palestinian‑American activist who has been endorsed by NYC Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani, is running for the Queens 34th District Assembly seat that covers Corona and other parts of the borough. The candidate is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and has served as an intern for the Council on American‑Islamic Relations and as a speaker for a Muslim charity organization for over ten years.
During a 2015 online journal entry that surfaced this month, Kawas wrote:
“Whether it is July 4th, Thanksgiving, Veterans, Columbus or now Labor Day, we enjoy days off that are supposed to be victories for people, when they truly represent the silencing & destruction of our movements.”
“Today I do not celebrate a day off, I only recommit myself to a global movement that fights against the death, displacement, and exploitation of people for capital.”
“For this movement, a day off is not a victory. A day off means nothing, because liberation means everything,” added Kawas, who, like Mamdani, is a card‑carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
“Dignity, justice & equality is the true victory. Don’t get it twisted.”
Kawas’s critical remarks on federal holidays and the “American Dream” have sparked backlash. Queens City Councilman Robert Holden, a conservative Democrat, said:
“When Zohran Mamdani backs candidates like Aber Kawas who openly hate Labor Day, Veterans Day, and the American Dream, it’s a warning sign that we need to stop electing people who despise this country and everything it stands for.”
“Socialism has failed everywhere, and it’s flat‑out un‑American.”
The Assembly seat was vacated by Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez‑Rojas, who is running for state Senate. Gonzalez‑Rojas has endorsed her chief of staff, Brian Romero, while the Democratic Socialists of America’s Electoral Working Group has signaled support for Kawas. With Mamdani’s endorsement, the race in a heavily progressive district is likely to be decided in the Democratic primary against other DSA‑affiliated challengers.
Kawas has also been caught in controversy for comments about the September 11 attacks. An interview posted by Australian activist Drew Pavlou, which resurfaced on X last month after Mamdani’s endorsement came to light, includes the following statements:
“The system of capitalism and racism and white supremacy et cetera — and Islamophobia — have all been used, you know, to colonize lands, to take resources from other people, and so this is a long trajectory and we are just seeing the manifestations of that continuation … with 9/11,” she said.
“The idea we have to apologize for like a terror attack that like a couple of people did and then there is no apology or reparations for genocides and for slavery, et cetera — is something I find reprehensible,” she added.
Neither Mamdani’s representatives nor Kawas herself has responded to further inquiries.
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