Zohran Mamdani became the first Mayor of New York City to be sworn into office using a Quran.
The 34-year-old Democratic socialist, born in Uganda to filmmaker Mira Nair and academic Mahmood Mamdani, officially assumed the role just after midnight in a private ceremony at the decommissioned Old City Hall subway station.
For this landmark moment, Mamdani placed his hand on two copies of the holy text, one from a family heirloom belonging to his grandfather and a centuries-old manuscript on loan from the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture.
The choice of the Schomburg Quran, dating back to the late 18th or early 19th century, was intended to symbolise the deep-rooted history and diversity of the city’s Muslim community.
Following the private midnight event administered by Attorney General Letitia James, a grander public inauguration was held at City Hall, where Senator Bernie Sanders administered a second ceremonial oath. Mamdani, who moved to New York at age seven and became a naturalised citizen in 2018, is the first Muslim and the first South Asian to lead America's most populous city.
Mamdani sparks controversy with Kassem appointment
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani sparked controversy by appointing Ramzi Kassem, a lawyer known for high-profile cases, as the city’s top attorney.
Kassem defended al-Qaeda operative Ahmed al-Darbi and anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil, labelled a national security threat by the Trump administration, and served as a senior immigration policy advisor under President Biden.
Mamdani called him a “powerful advocate,” while Kassem described the role as a “call of duty” to serve New York, his “first stable home” after growing up in war-torn Middle Eastern countries. His past activism, including protests against a campus “Israeli wrap” and questioning Israel’s authority over settlers in Nablus, has drawn scrutiny. He founded the law clinic Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility. Mamdani also named Steven Banks corporation counsel and Helen Arteaga deputy mayor for health and human services.
