In a recent development, a Republican councilwoman from New York City is facing significant backlash over her alleged “Islamophobic” social media posts. She, however, has turned the tables on her critics, accusing them of double standards. The controversy stems from her left-leaning counterparts’ silence following a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) colleague’s inflammatory remarks condemning Muslim pro-Israel protesters.
Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov has dismissed calls for her removal from office. These demands came from a new coalition named “One Standard NYC,” which organized a protest outside City Hall. The protest attracted around two dozen faith leaders and civil liberties advocates.
The controversy began when Vernikov shared a video on social media showing Muslim men praying publicly in Brooklyn, near a Jewish girls’ school. She questioned whether their presence was an attempt to intimidate the students.
“Why do a bunch of GROWN MEN need to do this right outside of a school full of little Jewish girls??? Isn’t this what MOSQUES are for? Is this intentional?” Vernikov wrote on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
During the City Hall rally, speakers such as Queens community activist and former political candidate Japneet Singh criticized both Vernikov and Queens Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, labeling them as “cancerous.” Others in attendance urged City Council Speaker Julie Menin to take a stand against the council members.
Singh emphasized the importance of representing all constituents, regardless of their faith or beliefs, stating, “We cannot pick and choose who we want to represent. If you decide to lead this body, you represent each and every constituent, whether they’re Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, or even if they don’t believe in anything.”
“At the end of the day, when you come into this building and you get elected by the people your job is to represent the people.”
But Vernikov — who infamously brought a gun to an anti-Israel rally a few years ago — noted that democratic socialist Brooklyn Councilwoman Shahana Hanif recently lashed out against a pair of Muslim organizers of a massive pro-Israel protest at Gracie Mansion.
Hanif, best known for her frequent anti-Israel remarks, raged in a post on X that she hoped the organizers were condemned “to Jahannam” — the Islamic equivalent of hell.
“The people rallying against me are the same people who remained silent on the vile rhetoric of Councilmember Shahana Hanif when she condemned a fellow Muslim to ‘Jahannam,” same people who wanted me removed before I even co-chaired the task force to combat antisemitism and the same people and entities who associated themselves with atrocious antiseptic ideologies and terrorist organizations,” she said.
CAIR-NY — the Big Apple offshoot of the controversial Muslim charity accused of Hamas links — was also part of the coalition rallying against Vernikov.
Afar Nasher, the executive director of CAIR-NY would not directly comment on Hanif’s posts, saying, “So, this event in particular is about what we’re standing her for, and that is solidarity and unity against Islamophobic statements that happened on that particular date with Vernikov.”
“Often, Muslims are at the bottom of the barrel in which and how things are treated within terms of accountability, right? So that’s what we’re trying to focus on,” she said.
Speaker Menin and Hanif did not respond to requests for comment.
The Council recently had to drop a planned disciplinary action against Paladino after she sued when her colleagues hit her with ethics complaints calling for the “expulsion of Muslims.”
