Quran swore in New York mayor for first time in history as Zohran Mamdani takes office

The 34-year-old Democrat became mayor in a long-closed metro station under City Hall, the first Muslim, the first South Asian and the first African to occupy this position.

These milestones – along with the historic Quran – reflect the vibrant, longtime Muslim residents of the country’s most populous city, according to a scholar who assisted Mamdani’s wife: Rama Duwajiselect one of the books.

Most of Mamdani’s predecessors took an oath on a Bible, although the oath to uphold the federal, state and municipal constitutions does not require the use of any religious text.

And although he focused heavily on the issue of affordability during his campaign, Mamdani has been outspoken about his Muslim faith. He appeared frequently at mosques across the five boroughs as he builds a base of support which included many new South Asian and Muslim voters.

A look at the three Qurans used by Mamdani

Two Qurans were to be used during the ceremony in the subway: his grandfather’s Quran and a pocket version dating from the late 18th or early 19th century. It is in the collection of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library.

This copy of the Quran symbolizes the diversity and reach of the city’s Muslims, said Hiba Abid, the library’s curator of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies.

“It’s a small Quran, but it brings together elements of faith and identity in the history of New York City,” Abid said.

At a subsequent inauguration ceremony at City Hall on the first day of the year, Mamdani will use the Qurans of his grandfather and grandmother. The campaign did not offer further details on these legacies.

The long journey of a Quran to the hands of Mamdani

The manuscript was acquired by Arturo Schomburg, a black Puerto Rican historian whose collection documents the global contributions of people of African descent. Although it is unclear how Schomburg came into possession of the Quran, scholars believe it reflects his interest in the historical relationship between Islam and black cultures in the United States and Africa.

Unlike the ornate religious manuscripts associated with royalty or elites, the copy of the Quran that Mamdani will use is modest in design. It has a dark red binding with a simple floral medallion and is written in black and red ink. The script is simple and readable, suggesting that it was created for everyday use rather than ceremonial display.

These features indicate that the manuscript was intended for ordinary readers, Abid said, a quality she described as essential to its significance.

“The importance of this Quran lies not in luxury, but in accessibility,” she said.

Because the manuscript is neither dated nor signed, researchers have relied on its binding and handwriting to estimate when it was produced, placing it in the late 18th or early 19th century, during the Ottoman period, in a region that includes what is now Syria, Lebanon, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Jordan.

Abid said the manuscript’s journey to New York mirrors Mamdani’s journey. Mamdani is a South Asian New Yorker born in Uganda, while Duwaji is Syrian-American.

Identity and controversy

The meteoric rise of a Muslim democratic socialist has also led to a wave of Islamophobic rhetoric, amplified by national attention on the race.

In a emotional speech Days before the election, Mamdani said the hostility had only strengthened his resolve to make his faith known.

“I will not change who I am, the way I eat or the faith I am proud to call my own,” he said. “I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light.”

The decision to use a Quran sparked further criticism from some conservatives. U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama wrote on social media, “The enemy is within the gates,” in response to a news article about Mamdani’s inauguration. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights group, has designated Tuberville an anti-Muslim extremist based on previous statements.

Such a reaction is not new. In 2006, Keith Ellisonthe first Muslim elected to Congress, was condemned by conservatives after choosing to use a Quran for his ceremonial oath.

Following the inauguration, the Quran will be on public display at the New York Public Library. Abid said she hopes the attention paid to the ceremony — whether favorable or critical — will inspire more people to explore the library’s collections documenting Islamic life in New York, ranging from early 20th-century Armenian and Arabic music recorded in the city to first-hand accounts of Islamophobia after the September 11 attacks.

“This manuscript was intended for use by ordinary readers when it was written,” Abid said. “Today he lives in a public library where everyone can meet him.”

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Associated Press writers Jake Offenhartz in New York and Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed.