Mira Nair, the mother of socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, has some disturbing ties to Qatar’s government, according to an explosive new report.
The New York Post reported that Nair, a far-left progressive, received funding for a significant number of films she produced.
Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, sister to the ruling emir, and the state-funded cultural institutions she controls, have supported Mira Nair and her creative projects since at least 2009, even extending a personal invitation to participate in the cultural program the country organized as part of the festivities around hosting the 2022 World Cup.
Since mid-June, Sheikha Al-Thani has taken to promoting Mamdani’s mayoral candidacy on social media, boosting news of favorable polling on Instagram and posting fire emojis under a TikTok video of him embracing Nair.
Danielle Pletka, a foreign policy expert at the American Enterprise Institute, told the New York Post that Qatar’s government is “buying somebody who is willing to be bought and at the time of their choosing they will ask for what they want.”
Sheikha Al-Thani founded the Doha Film Institute, a Qatar-funded organization, which paid for the $15 million budget of “The Reluctant Fundamentalist,” which Nair produced. The movie is about a young Pakistani man who becomes successful on Wall Street, but later grapples with the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
State-owned Qatar Airways and Qatar Creates also produced a stage adaptation of one of Nair’s movies titled “Monsoon Wedding.”
The Qatar National Museum, headed by Sheikha Al-Thani, commissioned Nair’s film “Nafas,” which tells the story of Qatari pearl divers.
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Nair has championed LGBTQ rights and is an ardent critic of the Israeli government.
Qatar has long faced allegations of supporting various terrorist organizations such as Hamas, al-Qaeda, and others. It was revealed in 2003 that Qatari-based charities was moving and laundering funds for al-Qaeda. The regime has given an estimated $1.8 billion to Hamas and has hosted the terrorist group’s leaders in Doha.
Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood: Qatar has been criticized for its financial and political support for Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. It has provided an estimated $1.8 billion to Gaza’s Hamas-run government and hosts Hamas leaders in Doha, raising concerns about enabling terrorism. During the Muslim Brotherhood’s rule in Egypt (2012–2013), Qatar reportedly provided $7.5 billion in loans and grants to the Morsi government.
Qatar’s government has also been caught bribing members of the European Union’s parliament. In an incident known as “Qatargate.” In late 2022, Belgian authorities carried out sweeping raids and arrests across Brussels. The investigation turned up €1.5 million with links to Qatar-backed individuals. Several European lawmakers, lobbyists, and others accepted money or gifts in exchange for influencing policy to favor the Qatari government’s interests.
Of course, there is no evidence that Mamdani himself is involved with Qatar’s government — so far. However, Qatari officials have helped to boost Mamdani’s public profile.
It’s also worth noting that Mamdani, despite claiming to be a progressive, has never criticized Qatar’s government for its backward policies. The country restricts women’s autonomy over major life decisions. If an adult Qatari woman wishes to marry, travel, or study abroad on a government scholarship, they must obtain permission from a male guardian.
The regime also criminalizes homosexuality under its Sharia-based laws. Those who violate this law could face flogging and up to seven years in prison. Six LGBTQ Qataris told Human Rights Watch that Preventive Security Department officers “detained them in an underground prison in Al Dafneh, Doha, where they verbally harassed and subjected detainees to physical abuse, ranging from slapping to kicking and punching until they bled.”
If Mamdani were to win the mayoral race, there are concerns that his mother’s connection to Qatar’s government could possibly influence policy. The fact that he has failed to condemn the regime even when prompted only intensifies these concerns.
When asked about his mother’s relationship with the Qatari government, his campaign declined to clarify whether he had received assistance from the regime. The campaign told the New York Post, “The attempt to weaponize his mother’s career against him is an insult to voters who care about actual issues, not manufactured distractions.”
Editor’s Note: Zohran Mamdani is an avowed Democratic Socialist and has a real chance to become the next mayor of New York City.
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