- Hadeeqa Malik called political activism jihad and urged Muslims to accept risks like suspension or arrest
- Malik criticised those not opposing Israeli actions in Gaza, citing over 58,000 Palestinian deaths
- She interned in Zohran Mamdani’s New York State Assembly office during summer 2024
A former intern for New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has described political activism as "jihad" and urged Muslims to risk getting suspended or arrested while standing up to "settler colonialism."
Hadeeqa Malik, a City College of New York student and activist, was seen in a video encouraging fellow Muslims to accept the consequences, including doxing and disciplinary action, for protesting against Israel's war on Gaza.
"The true believer knows that none of this is in vain, that this is all Jihad (holy war), this is all ibadah (worship)," Ms Malik said in the clip making rounds online. It was taken from a CUNY4Palestine webinar titled 'Islamic Political Activism.'
"So, the conversation of doxing, the conversation of getting arrested and suspended, I think it's time for Muslims to start to say, 'All right, all right, so what? Do what you want. I'm going to do what I got to do."
In the same video, Ms Malik criticised people who have not joined the movement against Israeli oppression in Palestine. Israel's onslaught on the narrow strip has entered its 21st month, with over 58,000 Palestinians killed so far in ground invasion, airstrikes and recent shootings at food and water distribution points.
"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.
She challenged Muslims, saying, "If you get suspended, if you get doxed, because it's bound to happen... 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."
Ms Malik served as a communications, outreach, policy, and constituent services intern in Zohran Mamdani's New York State Assembly office during the summer of 2024. A photo shared on her LinkedIn profile shows Ms Malik and Mr Mamdani smiling for a selfie.
The activist, who is pursuing a degree in international relations with a minor in human rights, also lists herself as president of the City College chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine. She is affiliated with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as an outreach coordinator and serves as a Racial Justice Fellow at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership.
In a separate incident at a rally supporting Palestine earlier this year, Ms Malik confronted New York police officers and singled out a Muslim officer. "Let's read the badges of the pigs," she said while reading officers' names aloud. "To the pigs who can call themselves by the name of Islam. Put some respect on their names!"
The officer, who appeared visibly uncomfortable, was later rotated out as he stepped back from the line.
