Mayor Eric Adams has taken aim at his main rival in the upcoming New York City mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani, criticising the Democrat’s record of backing the decriminalisation of prostitution and questioning how such a stance aligns with his religious faith.Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Adams said, “I can’t be more clear. I’m a man of God, just as Mamdani says he’s a Muslim. I don’t know where in his Quran it states that it’s okay for a woman to be on the streets selling their body. I don’t know what Quran he is reading. It’s not in my Bible. As a man who said he is of faith, I don’t quite understand what religion supports prostitution.”Mamdani’s religion is Islam, which prohibits prostitution under its laws of morality.The comments followed reporting by the reports highlighting Mamdani’s history of pushing to change state law so that selling sex would no longer be treated as a crime. As per the New York Post, Adams argued that such a policy would fuel trafficking and crime, saying, “I think he’s lost on the fact that sex trafficking is very much part of prostitution. We are trying to bring down crime and he is talking about legalising sex work.”He added, “You’re not doing any service to a woman who is on the street who is forced to sell her body for whatever reason. No one should be on our streets selling their bodies. No one.”

Mamdani’s record on sex work

According to the New York Post, Mamdani has been a consistent advocate of decriminalisation since his first run for the state Assembly in 2020, when he declared: “Not only must we decriminalise sex work, we need a comprehensive platform of justice for all.”Since then, the 33-year-old Socialist has co-sponsored several bills in Albany that would remove criminal penalties for sex work across New York state. In 2021, he told colleagues at an Assembly meeting, “I would like to register my support for [decriminalising sex work] legislation, my eagerness for that debate and for my fundamental belief that sex work is work”, as per the New York Post.Despite that record, Mamdani has said little about the issue since entering the mayoral race, raising concerns among critics that he may attempt to advance such measures from City Hall if elected. As mayor, he would not be able to change state law on his own, but he would hold a powerful platform to campaign for reforms and could also deprioritise prostitution enforcement by the NYPD.

Supporters vs critics

Supporters of decriminalisation argue that legalising sex work makes those in the industry less vulnerable to violence from pimps, clients and police. However, research in places such as Nevada and parts of Europe has shown that trafficking often rises when prostitution is legalised, as organised crime expands to meet demand.Sonia Ossorio, executive director of the National Organization for Women NYC, has warned that Mamdani’s plans could turn the city into a “sex tourism destination” comparable to Amsterdam’s Red Light District. Rosa Sanchez of the Restore Roosevelt Avenue Coalition was cited by the Post saying her Queens community is already struggling with prostitution and gang activity, and predicted matters would worsen under Mamdani.Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa also warned the city risked seeing “all 350 neighbourhoods” turned into red-light districts if Mamdani wins.Mamdani’s campaign hit back on Sunday, though it stopped short of confirming whether he still supports decriminalisation. A spokesperson said, “Mayor Adams’ reckless budget cut over $3 million in funding from Safe Horizon, putting thousands of victims of crimes related to sex trafficking and prostitution in harm’s way. As Mayor, Zohran will prioritise genuine public safety for all, including investing $40M through his Department of Community Safety towards victims services.”Former governor Andrew Cuomo stressed he had long opposed attempts by Mamdani and other progressives to decriminalise prostitution during his time in Albany.Adams, running as an independent for re-election, framed the debate as a question of protecting vulnerable women and ensuring public safety. “Our city needs to be a safe city. It should not be a city where women are standing on corners, or boys are standing on corners, or young men standing on corners selling their bodies,” he said. “If that is his belief, it is a danger for our city.”