This week, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), including members aligned with Mayor Mamdani, expressed strong opposition to U.S. military actions in Iran, calling for an end to what they describe as the “U.S. empire.” During a widely attended virtual meeting, they also condemned the “extrajudicial killing” of Iran’s supreme leader.
Ahmed Husain, a prominent figure on the DSA’s National Political Committee, addressed nearly 1,000 participants during Wednesday night’s “Hands Off Iran” video call. He emphasized that mere rallies or votes would not suffice to resolve the ongoing conflict. “This will conclude only when a mass movement dismantles the war machine,” he asserted, setting the tone for the call, which began with a rendition of Bob Dylan’s protest anthem, “Masters of War.”
Husain stressed the importance of imposing tangible consequences on those who support military actions. He is known for his outspoken social media presence, where he has criticized both the “decaying fascist American empire” and questioned Israel’s legitimacy. During the call, he urged DSA members to intensify their efforts.
“I won’t sugarcoat it; our movement is not currently strong enough to halt this war,” Husain admitted. “Whether it’s your neighbor, co-worker, or even a family member, your mission is to mobilize them into action.”
Husain — an immigrant from Bahrain who has in the past raged on social media about destroying the “decaying fascist American empire” and that “Israel never had the right to exist” — called on his comrades to step up.
“I’m not going to lie, I don’t think the movement is where it needs to be at right now to stop this war,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s your neighbor, your co-worker, your dad, your mom, your job is to get them to act.
“The DSA needs to act on every single front.”
The call borrowed from the same playbook the DSA used during its Venezuela mass call after dictator Nicolas Maduro’s capture.
On Wednesday, speakers framed Iran’s bloody 1979 revolution, which put Ayatollah Khomeini in power and took 66 Americans hostage, as “throwing off American and Israeli influence.”
“There are many people who are in deep mourning,” said Isabella Javidan, a speaker from the National Iranian American Council, about last week’s attack that took out Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Even before the meeting, the party was being blasted for the event’s ad, which prominently features the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Featuring the flag of the regime that has murdered tens of thousands in a matter of days for protesting for democracy is … a choice,” wrote one Iranian woman on Instagram.
“You just care about human rights when it suits your narrative,” slammed another. “Educate yourself about history and politics, respect the voice of Iranians, or just shut up.”
Husain spoke of protracted movement.
“This is not going to be a one-week thing,” he promised.
“There isn’t one tactic we’re going to do today that’s going to end things. All of this is cumulative. All of this is towards building a movement that can actually change the terrain permanently in this country so that the war machine can no longer function. … We can end the US empire here in America.”
The DSA didn’t return The Post’s request for comment.
