New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, are trading accusations after Blakeman criticized the governor for wearing a hijab during a visit to an Islamic cultural center, a dispute that has expanded to include questions of religious respect, feminism and the approaching 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The controversy stems from Hochul’s visit Friday to the Islamic Cultural Center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where she toured community spaces and covered her head while inside a worship area.
Hochul defended her decision, saying it was consistent with how she approaches visits to religious sites…