New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has found himself at the centre of a political storm after reports linked his celebrated filmmaker mother, Mira Nair, to millions of dollars in funding from Qatar. The Gulf state, which has long been criticised for its ties to Hamas, has allegedly supported Nair’s film and stage projects for over a decade.

Mamdani, 33, stunned political observers earlier this year when he defeated Andrew Cuomo to win the Democratic nomination. Running on a platform of far-left policies, he has attracted sharp criticism for his outspoken opposition to Israel.

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Funding ties with Qatari royalty

The New York Post reported that Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad Al-Thani, sister of Qatar’s ruling emir, has provided direct and indirect backing for Nair’s work since 2009. The Doha Film Institute, chaired by the sheikha, financed projects including the $15 million budget for Nair’s 2012 film ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’, and organised cultural collaborations with her Maisha Film Labs.

Nair’s films and projects have frequently featured in Qatari cultural showcases. Her work ‘Amelia’ opened the first Doha Tribeca Film Festival in 2009, while her short film ‘Nafas’ was commissioned by the Qatar National Museum in 2019. More recently, Qatar Airways and Qatar Creates produced her stage adaptation of ‘Monsoon Wedding’ as part of the 2022 World Cup celebrations.

Beyond cultural patronage, Sheikha Al-Thani has publicly boosted Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. Since June, she has shared Instagram posts highlighting his favourable polling and even commented with fire emojis on a TikTok of him alongside his mother. Critics argue this demonstrates an unusual overlap between foreign royal backing and a US political campaign.

Mamdani campaign pushes back

Meanwhile, Mamdani has dismissed the allegations as an attempt to smear him through his mother’s career. “The attempt to weaponise his mother’s career against him is an insult to voters who care about actual issues, not manufactured distractions,” said campaign spokeswoman Dora Pekec.

He has insisted that he has never visited Qatar nor received financial support from the country. His campaign continues to focus on progressive pledges, including higher taxes on corporations, free childcare, fare-free buses, and expanded healthcare for transgender communities.

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What MAGA said?

MAGA supporters have linked it Nair to Hamas. An X user wrote, “Hamas-backing Qatar poured millions into films & projects by Mira Nair—Israel-boycotting filmmaker & mother of Zohran Mamdani. Now a Qatari royal is boosting Mamdani’s NYC mayoral bid. Foreign money, antisemitism, and politics collide.”

Another wrote, “You’ve probably heard that NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s mother, Mira Nair, is a famous filmmaker. But did you know how much help she’s gotten from Qatar, the same country that supports Hamas?”