Zahran Mamdani:
A Victory of the Individual or of the System?

By Shariq Ali
Valueversity

Mamdani’s victory is far greater than the success of an individual — it is the triumph of a democratic conscience.
In truth, it is the victory of a system that gives space to dissent, does not treat questioning as a sin, and judges a person by their intent, character, and ability — not by their faith, lineage, or background.

It is the honor of a society broad-minded enough to accept an immigrant, a nonbeliever, and a socialist youth as its leader — as long as he has the courage to speak the truth and stand for justice.

If this same spirit had tried to take root in our own society, its very first breath would have been stifled.

Had Zahran gone door to door asking for votes here, he would have faced the same pressure Jibran Nasir did — to chant slogans against the Ahmadis.
Some would have branded him an infidel for belonging to a different sect; others would have pried into his personal beliefs.
Someone would have mocked the faith of his Hindu mother, and another would have declared his socialist ideals a symbol of hostility to Islam.
The intelligence agencies would have opened his file, asking why this man dares to speak against “the system.”

And what a strange system ours is — it spends all its energy guarding those very paths from which our own Zahran Mamdanis might one day emerge.

But when a Mamdani rises to recognition across seven seas in a democratic land, we proudly proclaim:
“Look, we have won!”

We forget that in our own homeland, we are the ones who suffocate such dreamers.

The time has come to stand before the mirror and ask ourselves:
Do we truly desire democracy — or merely its name?