Umar Khalid’s Father Recalls Meeting New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani in US Before Bail Order
Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas says he met Zohran Mamdani to thank him for supporting Umar Khalid during his long incarceration.
New Delhi: Umar Khalid’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, has spoken about his recent meeting with New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the United States, just days before Khalid was granted interim bail to attend his sister’s wedding.
In an interview with NDTV, Ilyas said the meeting took place on December 9 and lasted around 25 minutes. He explained that he had requested the meeting to personally thank Mamdani for reading Khalid’s jail diary in 2023 and for publicly expressing solidarity with him during his imprisonment.
According to Ilyas, Mamdani said that he often thinks about Umar Khalid’s continued detention and felt that he should be granted bail. Ilyas added that Mamdani drew similarities between his own public work and Khalid’s activism, noting that both raised issues related to ordinary people.
During the meeting, Mamdani reportedly wrote a handwritten note addressed to Umar Khalid. In the note, he reflected on Khalid’s thoughts about bitterness and the importance of not letting it consume one’s life. Mamdani also mentioned that he was pleased to meet Khalid’s parents and that many people were thinking of him.
Ilyas, who is also a spokesperson for the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), said Mamdani asked if there was anything more he could do to help. “I told him, just pray,” Ilyas said. He also mentioned that he was present during the recent hearings in the Supreme Court and was hopeful of a positive outcome.
Mamdani’s letter later sparked political controversy in India, with BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia stating that Umar Khalid’s case is an internal matter and should not attract external commentary.
Umar Khalid has been in jail for nearly five years in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots, which claimed 53 lives. He was granted interim bail from December 16 to December 29 to attend his sister’s wedding.
Meanwhile, eight US lawmakers, including Representatives Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin, wrote to India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, expressing concern over the prolonged pre-trial detention of those accused in the Delhi riots cases, including Khalid. The lawmakers said that several human rights groups, legal experts and international media organisations have raised questions about the fairness of the investigation and legal process.
