Mamdani to receive peacemaker award alongside controversial Iranian lobbying group

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and a controversial Iranian-American lobbying group will be honored with “peacemaker” awards by a New York state non-profit group next week.The mayor won’t be in attendance to accept the William Sloane Coffin Jr.Peacemaker Award at the October 5 event hosted by the Peace Action Fund of New York State, a City Hall spokesperson said Friday, but did not provide any additional clarity on the decision.Mamdani was awarded the honor “as a former student organizer whose support of Palestinian rights resonates with many of the students of our Campus Organizing Program,” PAFNYS, an anti-war non-profit group, wrote on Instagram.But the organization — the educational and research arm of Peace Action New York State — is also honoring the National Iranian American Council, a Washington DC-based non-profit whose ethics have been called into questions in recent years, City Journal first reported.“This year’s event honors the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) for being a leading voice for peace and diplomacy with Iran,” and Mayor Zohran Mamdani,” PAFNYS wrote.Critics of the group, including Republican Sens.

Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and Mike Braun, in 2020 called on the Justice Department to investigate it for possible coordination with the Iranian government.Last week, NIAC — which states its primary mission as to bridge relations between the US and Iran — filed a lawsuit against President Trump’s administration challenging the war in Iran, arguing “the president is waging an unconstitutional war without authorization from Congress.” NIAC did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment. City Hall came under fire just three months ago for a planned meeting between Mamdani’s international affairs commissioner, Ana Maria Archila, and Iranian ambassador and UN envoy Amir-Saeid Iravani. The scheduled July meeting was thwarted by the US State Department – and Hizzoner downplayed his office’s involvement at ...