BISHOP BARRON: Minnesota’s crises demand real change, not more division
As a resident of Minnesota and as the bishop of the diocese of Winona-Rochester, I’ve been just heartbroken about the present situation in my home state. We seem to be lurching from crisis to crisis, with little hope of resolution. The atmosphere is thick with corruption, violence, threats of retribution, angry shouting and scapegoating.
The two outrages that dominate are, of course, the massive institutional corruption that has been revealed over the last several months and the recent incursion of ICE agents that has inspired passionate protest. I will address the latter issue in due course, and I am reluctant to permit it to distract attention from the first.
It appears certain that hundreds of millions of dollars have been siphoned from the taxpayers of Minnesota through one of the greatest public frauds ever perpetrated in our country. Enormous amounts of money were directed to phony front organizations and then to fraudsters both inside Minnesota and outside the country. One of the most disturbing features of this episode is that a journalist, Christopher F. Rufo, and Nick Shirley, an independent investigative reporter, broke the case by doing what ordinary inspectors and public officials in the state should have been doing for years: simply verifying where the money was going.
ANTI-ICE AGITATORS DISRUPT MINNESOTA CHURCH, SHOUT DOWN WORSHIPPERS DURING SUNDAY SERVICE
I realize that, to some, this kind of financial malfeasance can seem a relatively harmless “white-collar” crime, but nothing could be further from the truth. Catholic social teaching is adamant that public corruption constitutes a grave threat to society and especially to the poor. It undermines confidence in our leaders and the political process, compromises the integrity of the institutions of government and subverts the rule of law. Even more importantly, it deeply harms those most in need, effectively stealing resources from them and blocking essential services such as health care and education.
Moreover, if the kind of fraud on display in Minnesota is discovered in other states as well, we are dealing with an astonishing violation of human rights and an attack on the needy. I would sincerely hope that opposition to this sort of evil should not be a matter of partisan politics. I see no reason why Democrats, Republicans, independents and progressives shouldn’t stand shoulder to shoulder in confronting this corruption.
Alas, Minnesota’s turmoil does not end with financial scandal alone. The tragic shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent during a federal immigration enforcement operation — and the ensuing protests and clashes between demonstrators, local officials and federal agents — has heightened tensions and brought yet another crisis to the forefront of public life in our state.
The situation is being driven by a volatile mix of illegal immigrants, political leaders, protesters and federal agents all colliding in the same small space at the same time. In response to the crisis prompted by the arrival of ICE agents in large numbers in Minnesota, might I make some simple suggestions?
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First, along with my brother bishops, I strongly defend our nation’s right to maintain the border and to enforce immigration regulations. I do not subscribe to the effectively open border policy that held sway during the Biden administration. But, at the same time, I think that ICE operations should be limited to rounding up only undocumented people who have committed serious crimes. I understand that anyone who has entered the country without documentation has committed a crime, but I believe that ICE raids against such people are simply too blunt an instrument.
The status of illegal immigrants who have lived productively and peacefully in our country for many years should be a matter for political adjudication and not aggressive police action. The riots in Minneapolis and elsewhere in the country prove that the American people are ill at ease with the present policy.
At the same time, I would urge the political leadership in the state of Minnesota to stop stirring up resentment against federal officers who are endeavoring to enforce the laws of our country. The comparison of these oft-beleaguered individuals to Nazis and fascists and Gestapo agents is morally heinous and directly productive of violence. I was particularly appalled when the mayor of Minneapolis suggested that the municipal police ought to fight ICE agents and when the governor of Minnesota urged ordinary citizens to warn their neighbors of the presence of ICE agents and to film their “atrocities.” All such rhetoric is utterly contraindicated.
I would add this as well: These operations are made far more chaotic because Minnesota and Minneapolis officials refuse to share information with federal law enforcement and refuse to support ICE operations by doing such basic things as crowd control and arresting or moving people who try to box in ICE agents. If local authorities had done their duty in this regard, the likelihood of dangerous face-to-face confrontations would have been significantly diminished.
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Similarly, though I am in no position to adjudicate every tactical decision, ICE agents should follow established protocol and not stand in front of a running vehicle. Finally, though I strongly support the right to engage in peaceful public protest, I urge protesters not to interfere directly with the work of ICE officials. Speaking one’s mind is one thing, but getting in the way of police vehicles or inserting oneself in situations where armed officers are present is inviting tragedy.
Everyone on all sides of this issue must stop shouting at one another and demonizing their opponents. Vigorous public conversation and honest debate are essential features of our democracy. Vitriol, scapegoating, insults, and impugning of motives are not. We quickly have to make some changes because where we are right now in Minnesota is untenable.
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Armed militias fire heavy machine guns through Tehran streets in deadly night attacks
Gunfire echoed through Tehran Tuesday as heavily armed militias were deployed across the Iranian capital, transforming some districts into fortified zones under intense security.
Video footage showed bursts of automatic weapons after dark as government buildings, state media sites and major intersections were reportedly placed under guard, with armored pickups and masked fighters patrolling the streets in Toyotas.
The trucks were mounted with heavy machine guns and were moving in convoys with weapons firing into the darkness as armed men shouted commands.
In the video, large-caliber guns can be heard rattling as vehicles maneuver through urban streets.
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“There has been a deployment of dozens of Toyotas mounted with heavy machine guns (DShK) and other heavy weapons in Tehran,” Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.
“They are reportedly being used by elements linked to Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF),” he said.
“Their commander speaks in Farsi, and these fighters are Iraqi Hashd al-Sha’bi, Popular Mobilization Force and Hezbollah fighters who have joined the IRGC. The IRGC are their commanders, and you can hear them shouting in Farsi.”
According to Safavi, the Iranian regime has increasingly relied on foreign proxy forces to maintain control of the capital.
“The regime has brought in at least 5,000 foreign elements now from Iraq and Hezbollah to control Tehran,” he explained.
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“They are guarding the government buildings and the state radio and TV and are using heavy machine guns, which are Russian-made and 50 caliber.”
Safavi added that “at night, there are fierce clashes that are ongoing as well as running street battles between the protesters and the special unit forces.”
The footage emerged as the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported what it described as Day 24 of nationwide protests marked by a continued communications blackout.
“The number of confirmed deaths has reached 4,519, while the number of deaths still under investigation stands at 9,049,” the agency said, adding that at least 5,811 people have been seriously injured and 26,314 arrested.
HRANA reports also described an overwhelming security presence, particularly with law enforcement, the IRGC, Basij units and plainclothes agents after nightfall, creating what the group called an atmosphere of deterrence and fear.
The first protests began Dec. 28 and rapidly spread nationwide, driven by economic grievances and opposition to clerical rule.
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Demonstrations have persisted despite mass arrests, lethal force and internet shutdowns.
“Sometimes the protesters hold their ground to the gunfire, ammunition and volleys of tear gas,” Safavi said.
He alleged that IRGC units attacked a hospital in Gorgan, killing wounded patients, stationing snipers on rooftops and firing into surrounding areas.
“They then took around 76 bodies to a warehouse and are refusing to hand them over to families because the forces want to bury them in secret,” he claimed.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly blamed foreign enemies for unrest while backing the IRGC’s response.
President Trump on Tuesday warned Iran that continued assassination threats from leaders in Tehran would trigger overwhelming retaliation.
“Anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up,” Trump told NewsNation.
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NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi rejected the notion that external military action could topple the regime.
“A foreign war cannot bring down this regime,” she said in a statement. “What is required is an organized nationwide resistance rooted in active, combat-ready forces inside Iran’s cities to defeat one of the most brutal and repressive apparatuses in the world today — the IRGC.”
Leftist pastor calls Minnesota church invasion divine judgment on ‘MAGA evangelicals’ amid DOJ probe
While federal officials weigh possible civil rights violations over the invasion of a Minnesota church service on Sunday, leftist Christian leaders are cheering the anti-ICE protesters, casting the disruption of worship as a justified act of judgment.
A mob of anti-ICE agitators stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the service began, with protesters claiming a pastor inside was affiliated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Video showed agitators chanting “Justice for Renee Good” inside the chapel, as anti-ICE demonstrations flooded the Twin Cities.
Church officials wrote in a statement Tuesday “agitators jarringly disrupted” their worship gathering, accosting members of the congregation, frightening children and “creat[ing] a scene marked by intimidation and threat.”
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“Such conduct is shameful, unlawful, and will not be tolerated,” the church wrote. “Invading a church service to disrupt the worship of Jesus—or any other act of worship—is protected by neither the Christian Scriptures nor the laws of this nation. … Church buildings are meant to be places of peace and solace, where worshipers can hear and live out this message. We therefore call on local, state, and national leaders to protect this fundamental right. We are evaluating next steps with our legal counsel.”
Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention, said it was “absurd” that protesters would disrupt a Sunday morning worship service.
“As protesters trespassed inside the church, yelling in the worship service, ex-CNN reporter Don Lemon stuck a mic in [the church’s lead pastor, Jonathan Parnell]’s face asking don’t they have a constitutional right to public protest,” Ezell wrote in an X post. “No, they don’t have a right to enter private property & disrupt worship.”
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“If elected officials won’t contain lawlessness, [the NAMB] will provide protection for our churches,” Ezell added.
However, some pastors, including Louisiana minister Rodney Kennedy, are applauding the protesters’ ambush.
“MAGA churches are not being persecuted for righteousness but for not loving their neighbors. They are being persecuted by unexpected judgment, like Jesus cleansing the temple,” Kennedy wrote in an opinion article on Baptist News Global. “… I think God is using unexpected prophets to judge Cities Church.”
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Kennedy went on to attack the church itself, questioning “how a church bearing the name of Jesus promotes the themes of resentment, nativism, nationalism, racism and militaris.”
“MAGA evangelicals have been raising hell in American politics. Their movement is filled with economic angst, racism, religious bigotry, antifeminism and hostility toward immigrants, science, the media and democracy,” he wrote. “They have given birth to a Christian nationalism that is neither Christian nor patriotic.”
Kennedy added he believes the church demonstration was likely “only round one.”
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“Instead of whining about worship being violated, they should ask what led protesters to take such a drastic approach to communicate,” he wrote. “I pray MAGA evangelical churches everywhere will discover gospel reasons for facing the persecution and outrage of the culture. Until then, the Sunday protest in Minneapolis was probably only round one.”
Hours after the church protest, officials with the Department of Justice‘s Civil Rights Division said they would investigate the disruption.
“The @CivilRights is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshipers,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon wrote in a statement on X. “Considering and investigating other related crimes as well. @FBI activated too!”
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The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) Act, a federal law passed in 1994, makes it illegal to use force, threats or obstruction to interfere with people in places of worship.
Violations of the FACE Act can trigger criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment, or civil penalties.
Anti-ICE agitator who stormed Minnesota church service also harassed congregants at Pete Hegseth’s church
One of the anti-ICE agitators who stormed into a Twin Cities church Sunday has also been accused of harassing congregants at Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s church in Washington, D.C.
Anti-ICE agitators stormed Cities Church sanctuary on Sunday, causing chaos and insisting that one of the pastors is the acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office. Protesters were heard shouting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good” in the middle of services in front of shocked churchgoers. A man with the group was identified as William Kelly, who goes by “DaWokeFarmer” on TikTok, where he has over 66,000 followers, and regularly posts politically charged videos attacking ICE, President Donald Trump and members of his administration with profanity.
A member of Christ Church in Washington, D.C., who asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News Digital that he immediately recognized Kelly as a part of a group that has been pestering worshipers on a routine basis.
“William Kelly is a regular outside our church, he screams incredibly vile and gross things at families, at children at people, he’s called my wife a c—, a whore and a Nazi breeder, all sorts of fun things,” the Christ Church member told Fox News Digital.
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The anonymous member said Kelly’s identity is well known among congregants after six months of “social media sleuthing.”
Church members say the man was arrested by the United States Secret Service in December in a caught-on-camera ordeal that showed him berating a man as a “Nazi” and asking who he voted for. “DaWokeFarmer” said the Secret Service is “moving forward with disorderly conduct charges” against him in a recent video. The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Members of the Christ Church, where Hegseth attends, say they want to worship in peace and believe the vulgar shouting is extremely inappropriate.
“It’s been a good education for my children to understand what type of people use these words,” the anonymous Christ Church member said.
“He probably first showed up in September or October, he’s been off and on since then,” they continued. “Since he was arrested by the Secret Service in early December, he’s been on a road trip, out and about.”
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The Christ Church member said Metro PD has done a good job keeping congregants “physically safe” but have been unable to prosecute Kelly.
Christ Church associate pastor Joe Rigney has no doubt that the man who stormed the Minnesota church has also tormented churchgoers at services.
“We’ve had regular protests at our D.C. services for the last few months, a combination of paid, professional agitators, as well as people who just show up periodically. We became aware of William Kelly because through that, he was one of the regular protestors each week,” Rigney told Fox News Digital.
“Kelly stood out because he was one of the more aggressive, angry, vile, profane protesters who would follow people to their car, yell at them, yell at children… profanity-laden attacks on normal church members,” Rigney continued. “When we saw the video come out of Cities Church in St. Paul, our security team flagged it for me and said, ‘That’s the same guy.'”
Rigney, who doesn’t believe Kelly has confronted Hegseth directly, said he previously worked with his security team and law enforcement to determine the man’s identity.
Justin Overbaugh, the deputy under secretary of War for Intelligence and Security, also alleged the man storming Twin Cities church in Minnesota was Kelly.
“Ahhh I see DaWokeFarmer a.k.a William Scott Kelly, is harassing parishioners in MN. We’ve missed him outside @ChristKirkDC stalking us after service,” Overbaugh wrote in response to footage posted on X.
“This has been going on for months,” Overbaugh added. “While MPD provides security, they take no action when the mob uses bullhorns to disrupt services, which is in clear violation of the law.”
DaWokeFarmer did not immediately respond to a TikTok direct message.
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The man’s TikTok account also links to a GoFundMe page that identifies him as William Kelly.
“Road Trip!! Help me travel the Nation scolding the gestapo for their bad decisions! No rest for demons! Our goal is to encourage people to stand up for what’s right across the nation! Stand up For Humanity,” he wrote when asking for donations.
The account has raised over $40,000.
Protests against ICE have increased in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Good by an ICE agent. The Trump administration said Good was attempting to ram the agent with her vehicle when he opened fire.
The protesters allege that one of the church’s pastors — David Easterwood — also leads the local ICE field office overseeing the operations that have involved alleged violent tactics and illegal arrests.
Easterwood was in the church at the time of the protest. The Justice Department said it is investigating the incident.
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On Monday, DaWokeFarmer addressed the ordeal on TikTok.
“Yesterday, I went into a church with [activist] Nekima Armstrong, and I protested these White supremacists. The pastor of the church is a f—ing ICE leader in the city. How can you be a f—ing pastor and be a f—ing agent? F— ‘em, they wanna come after me? F— ‘em,” DaWokeFarmer said.
“How can they live so comfortably while the f—ing people from Somalia that are in this country legally, they have f—ing citizenship, can’t even go to their mosque and pray,” he continued. “How do they deserve any f—ing different? F— those f—ing Nazis. Come and get me, Pam Bondi, you f—ing traitorous b—-.”
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Gunmen abduct dozens of worshippers from multiple Nigerian churches using sophisticated weapons
Numerous worshippers from at least two churches in Nigeria were kidnapped during Sunday services by armed gangs, Reuters reported.
While Kaduna state police on Monday reportedly cited conservative figures, saying dozens were being held captive as the investigation remains in its early stages, a senior church leader noted that more than 160 worshippers were abducted by gunmen over the weekend.
Sunday’s incident, which BBC said targeted both Christians and Muslims, marks the latest mass kidnapping in Nigeria’s long-running streak of religiously fueled attacks. Muslim Fulani militants frequently carry out violence in northern and central parts of Nigeria to bankrupt Christian communities while receiving ransom payments.
Kaduna state police said gunmen armed with “sophisticated weapons” attacked two churches in the village of Kurmin Wali in Afogo ward at about 11:25 a.m. on Sunday, Reuters reported.
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Reverend John Hayab, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria located in the northern part of the country, told Reuters:
“Information came to me from the elders of the churches that 172 worshipers were abducted while nine escaped,” Hayab said.
Early estimates from security agencies tend to be conservative, while community and religious leaders often report higher numbers. In Nigeria, casualty and abduction figures often vary widely in the days following mass kidnappings.
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Police said troops and other security agencies had been deployed to the area, with efforts underway to track the abductors and secure the release of the captives, Reuters reported.
Nigeria has experienced a dramatic surge in mass attacks by armed gangs, particularly Islamist militants, who often operate from forest enclaves and target villages, schools and places of worship.
GUNMEN ATTACK CHURCH IN NIGERIA, KILLING TWO AND KIDNAPPING OTHERS
In 2025, Nigeria was named the epicenter of global killings of Christians, according to the Open Doors World Watch List. The report noted that while Muslims are also frequently attacked, Christians have been “disproportionately targeted,” with one in five African Christians facing high levels of persecution.
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In November, 52 Catholic students, along with several staff members, were kidnapped by gunmen at St. Mary’s School in Nigeria, The Associated Press reported.
In April, the Evangelical Church Winning All, a major church based in West Africa, said it paid the equivalent of $205,000 in ransom to secure the release of roughly 50 members kidnapped in Kaduna, Nigerian lawyer Jabez Musa told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Tilsley, Rachel Wolf, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Episcopal bishop warns clergy to prepare for ‘new era of martyrdom’ after ICE shooting
A New Hampshire Episcopal bishop is warning his clergy to finalize their wills and get their affairs in order to prepare for a “new era of martyrdom” following the shooting death of a woman by a federal immigration agent.
Bishop Rob Hirschfeld of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire voiced his remarks earlier this month at a vigil honoring Renee Good, who was fatally shot on Jan. 7 while behind the wheel of her vehicle by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
“I have told the clergy of the Episcopal diocese of New Hampshire that we may be entering into that same witness,” Hirschfeld said. “And I’ve asked them to get their affairs in order, to make sure they have their wills written, because it may be that now is no longer the time for statements, but for us with our bodies, to stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.”
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The Trump administration said Good was trying to ram an ICE agent while disrupting immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. Local officials and many Democrats have disputed that explanation, citing video footage of the fatal shooting.
During his speech, Hirschfeld cited several historical clergy members who had risked their lives to protect others, including Jonathan Daniels, a New Hampshire seminary student who was shot and killed in 1965 by a sheriff’s deputy in Alabama while shielding a young Black civil rights activist.
Other religious leaders have called for Christians to protect the vulnerable, including Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.
“We keep resisting, advocating, bearing witness and repairing the breach,” Rowe said during a prayer earlier this week. “We keep sheltering and caring for those among us who are immigrants and refugees because they are beloved by God, and without them, we cannot fully be the church.”
In Minnesota, Rt. Rev. Craig Loya urged people not to meet “hatred with hatred.”
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“We are going to make like our ancient ancestors, and turn the world upside down by mobilizing for love,” he said. “We are going to disrupt with Jesus’ hope. We are going agitate with Jesus’ love.”
Opponents of the ICE raids have characterized Good as a protester who was not trying to impede authorities as they were conducting immigration enforcement operations.
Authorities said Good had harassed them throughout that morning and blocked a road before she allegedly tried to ram an agent.
Two days after Good was killed, Rev. Michael Neuroth, director of the United Church of Christ‘s Public Policy and Advocacy, criticized ICE and the Trump administration during a gathering outside the White House.
“Citizens protesting these cruel polices are being labeled by the state as ‘terrorists’, opening the door to more violence and potential for more loss of life,” he said. “The administration’s xenophobic polices and inhumane tactics go against our values as people of faith to welcome and love our neighbors. In the UCC we will keep pushing against these policies, extending love to our neighbors, and proclaiming together that “Love Knows No Borders!”
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“We’re gathered because somebody was murdered by agents of the government,” the Rev. Dana Neuhauser, a United Methodist minister who sang with the group, said in an interview with the National Catholic Reporter during a memorial for Good at the intersection where she was fatally shot. “But we’ve been showing up in a variety of ways because our neighbors are being snatched. Parents being snatched in front of the school.”
She added, “It’s all just too much, but my faith requires me to show up.”
Iran locks nation into ‘darker’ digital blackout, viewing internet as an ‘existential threat’
Iran’s internet blackout has hardened into a permanent system of digital repression, with the regime treating citizens’ access to the outside world as an “existential threat,” according to digital rights monitors.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported Monday that Iran’s connectivity landscape had shifted dramatically as the country entered its 22nd day of unrest, following several days of almost total nationwide internet shutdown.
“On the twenty-second day, after several days of an almost complete internet shutdown, reports emerged of limited and unstable internet connectivity in some parts of the country,” NetBlocks reported.
“Indications are that we’re seeing a move toward a kind of ‘filternet plus’ censorship scheme in Iran,” NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker told Fox News Digital before pointing to “a rapid decline into a darker kind of digital darkness.”
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“The key difference from the pre-protest filternet arrangement is that, while internet platforms were extensively censored before, the regime is selectively whitelisting only a handful of services it deems critical for business needs.
“Even this selective access is sporadic, which means the censorship is likely still in the test phase,” he added. “In practice though, ordinary users remain offline.”
Toker described how the digital darkness “is in fact getting darker because the information controls are getting tighter.”
“Where international links were tolerated as a window to trade, the regime is approaching each of these as potential threats,” he said before adding that the regime “sees its own citizens’ ability to communicate with the rest of the world as an existential threat because the people are disaffected.”
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) at least 2,571 people were killed as of Monday, with additional deaths reported but not yet fully verified amid the communications blackout.
The internet blackout began Jan. 8 amid escalating demonstrations since Dec. 28, as authorities sought to prevent protesters from organizing, sharing videos of crackdowns and communicating with the outside world.
Since then, connectivity has remained inconsistent, with frequent outages and throttling even when partial access is restored.
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Iran International reported the blackout was expected to last until at least late March, with IranWire saying government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told media activists that access to international online services would not be restored before Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, on March 20.
“Having internet access was always a window to the outside and a lifeline for many Iranians,” Toker added. “It allowed for personal expression and culture that is banned by the regime.”
“These online freedoms can be as simple as online gaming, watching foreign movies or women’s ability to participate equally in spaces that would otherwise be barred by the Islamic Republic,” he added.
“With the internet blackout continuing, the curtain has been drawn on that window,” Toker said. “This is angering many Iranians, particularly Gen Z, who stand to lose a part of their identity.”
The blackout has also coincided with cyber incidents targeting Iran’s state infrastructure.
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As previously reported by Fox News Digital, anti-regime activists hacked Iran’s national broadcaster, briefly interrupting state television to air protest messages and calls from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah and a prominent opposition figure.
“We aren’t able to see the specific hack here,” Toker explained. “The lack of up-to-date security is an issue for Iran.”
“It is caused directly by the country’s digital isolation,” he said. “Iran’s internet systems are outdated, and security tools aren’t available due to internet restrictions.”
Toker added that embargoes force widespread use of pirated software, which often contains hidden vulnerabilities that can be exploited to breach critical networks.
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He said cyber warfare played a major role during the June 2025 clashes between Israel and Iran, prompting the blackout as a defensive measure against digital attacks. Israel, he noted, also restricted parts of its own network at the time.
“In 2026, we haven’t seen the same focus on cyber incidents, but it’s clear there’s an ongoing battle between state actors as well as individual hackers,” Toker said.
Jewish safety in New York depends on clear lines and moral courage from Mamdani
Shortly after Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election, I received a text from a new number. It was the mayor-elect.
I felt compelled to speak with him out of my respect for him becoming the new mayor. Our intense and productive conversation came after a violent protest outside my father’s Park East Synagogue. What happened that night in the streets of New York was not a political debate, but a deliberate act of intimidation against Jews, including a targeted campaign at the doors of a synagogue.
That call marked the beginning of an ongoing dialogue between us, where New York City must draw lines, how it protects houses of worship and what leadership looks like when fear enters sacred spaces. Since then, the mayor and I have been in contact regularly.
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It was clear where the mayor and I disagreed, namely that he must recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. His demonization of the Jewish state of Israel and his prior use of antisemitic tropes, such as “apartheid,” “occupation” and “genocide” has put the safety of New York Jews at risk. I told him, just as I tell every Muslim leader I know, that anti-Zionism is antisemitism.
I urged Mayor Mamdani to pursue legislation banning protests directly in front of all houses of worship. This was not about silencing free speech. It was to draw a clear and reasonable line between the right to protest and the right to pray without fear. To his credit, he listened. Our conversations also led to concrete policy steps. In Mamdani’s second executive order, he directed the police commissioner and the law department to review NYPD patrol guidance to ensure clearer protections for houses of worship. The order called for evaluating buffer zones near synagogues, churches and mosques, ranging from 15 to 60 feet from entrances, additional restrictions during publicly scheduled religious services and appropriate limitations even during non-religious activities.
This was a serious and substantial advancement. The mayor acknowledged what Jewish communities across New York have been saying for months: that protests targeting houses of worship cross a line.
When a pro-Hamas protest was planned in Queens, the new mayor did not wait for chaos to erupt. Hours before the protest began, he ordered dozens of NYPD officers to the area to ensure the safety of nearby synagogues, Jewish schools and families. That proactive measure demonstrated that disagreements do not preclude responsibility. In a statement, Mayor Mamdani wrote that “chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city.”
In my mind, his words acknowledge that past rhetoric, hesitation and intimidation during protests, including ones in which Mamdani attended, were wrong. I believe saying such chants have “no place in the city” is an admission that hate speech during protests against Jewish New Yorkers can turn violent.
The mayor’s rebuke of the protesters and the terrorist organization may have come at a political cost from his base, as some progressive activists and members of the Democratic Socialists of America criticized Mayor Mamdani and other leaders for condemning the chants. That reality should trouble every New Yorker. Rejecting terrorism and antisemitism should never be controversial in America.
But gratitude does not eliminate disagreement. Mamdani took a step in the right direction. Now, he is pushing for this bill with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who proposed a statewide bill to prevent protesters from being within “25 feet of the property line at houses of worship.”
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Leadership is not measured by whether the right words are spoken, but by whether they are spoken immediately, consistently, and backed by action.
To be overly optimistic, perhaps we are seeing a change in the mayor’s understanding of Israel and of how anti-Israel rhetoric impacts New York City’s Jewish community, the largest outside of Israel. As I wrote during the High Holy Days, “But Jewish tradition is clear: a genuine transformation does not happen overnight or for convenience. It requires contrition, confession, and change.”
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The next step will be for Mayor Mamdani to join me in meeting with global Muslim leaders and their representatives in New York who I have worked with for decades. These are leaders of Arab and Muslim majority countries who may not agree with every Israeli government policy, but they all unequivocally recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation. These voices represent coexistence, not incitement.
Now, as mayor for all New Yorkers, he must demonstrate an understanding that Israel is at the very core of the Jewish faith. One cannot bifurcate Israel from the Jewish community.
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Iran accused of killing 16,500 in sweeping ‘genocide’ crackdown: report
Iranian protesters are facing their deadliest days yet as security forces unleash mass killings and executions in a sweeping crackdown some have labeled “genocide,” new reports say.
According to The Sunday Times, a report compiled by doctors entrenched in the region and reviewed by the outlet estimates that security forces have killed at least 16,500 protesters and injured more than 330,000 others.
The report also described the violence as an “utter slaughter,” warning that the true toll may be even higher due to restricted access to hospitals and the near-total shutdown of communications.
POMPEO SAYS IRANIAN REGIME HAS ARRIVED AT ‘NATURAL TERMINUS’: ‘LET’S NOT WASTE THIS HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY’
Most of the victims, the report says, are believed to be under the age of 30, underscoring the heavy toll on Iran’s younger generation as the regime intensifies its efforts to crush dissent.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, acknowledged Sunday that “several thousands” have been killed since protests erupted Dec. 28.
In a televised address, he blamed demonstrators, calling them “foot-soldiers of the U.S.” and falsely claiming protesters were armed with imported live ammunition.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that as of day 22 of the protests, verified figures show 3,919 people killed, with 8,949 additional deaths under investigation, 2,109 severely injured, and 24,669 detainees.
HRANA noted that the true toll is likely far higher due to the internet shutdown.
Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German eye surgeon and medical director of Munich MED, said in The Sunday Times report that doctors across Iran are “shocked and crying,” despite having experience treating war injuries.
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“This is a whole new level of brutality,” Parasta said. He added that Starlink terminals smuggled into Iran have been the only means of communication since authorities cut internet access on Jan. 8.
Eyewitnesses who fled Iran also described snipers targeting protesters’ heads, mass shootings and systematic blinding using pellet guns.
One former Iranian resident said in the report that doctors reported more than 800 eye removals in a single night in the capital alone, with possibly more than 8,000 people blinded nationwide.
“This is genocide under the cover of digital darkness,” Parasta said.
Alongside the street killings, executions have surged dramatically, according to Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Safavi told Fox News Digital that 2,200 people were executed in 2025, while 153 have already been hanged in the first 18 days of January 2026, averaging more than eight executions per day.
IRAN REGIME OPENED FIRE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION ON PROTESTERS, DOCTOR SAYS: ‘SHOOT-TO-KILL’
“Ali Khamenei is continuing mass executions in parallel with the killing of young protesters,” Safavi said. “Three executions in the form of hanging are now happening every hour according to our data.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously disputed high death tolls reported in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, claiming fatalities were only in the hundreds and dismissing higher figures as “misinformation.”
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President Donald Trump sharply condemned Khamenei over the weekend, calling him a “sick man” and urging new leadership in Iran.
In an interview with Politico, Trump accused Khamenei of overseeing “the complete destruction of the country” and using “violence at levels never seen before,” adding that Iran’s leadership should “stop killing people.”