Zahran Mamdani is officially sworn in as Mayor of New York on a Quran filled with symbolism

NEW YORK (AP) — New Mayor Zahran Mamdani was sworn in at midnight on a centuries-old Quran, the first time a New York City mayor has used the holy Islamic text to take the oath and highlight a series of historic firsts for the city.

The 34-year-old Democrat became mayor of a long-closed subway station below City Hall, the first Muslim, first South Asian and first person born in Africa to hold the position.

These landmarks — as well as the historic Qur’an — reflect the long-vibrant Muslim population of the country’s most populous city, according to a researcher who helped Mamdani’s wife, Rama Dawaji, choose one of the books.

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

While he focused heavily on the issue of affordability during his election campaign, Mamdani has been frank about his Muslim faith. He frequently appeared at mosques throughout the five boroughs where he built a support base that included many first-time South Asian and Muslim voters.

A look at the used Mamdani Qur’ans

Two Qur’ans were to be used during the MRT ceremony: his grandfather’s Qur’an and a pocket-sized copy dating from the late 18th or early 19th century. It is part of the collection at the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Heba Abed, librarian for Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, said that this copy of the Holy Quran symbolizes the diversity and spread of Muslims in the city.

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“It is a small Qur’an, but it combines elements of faith and identity in the history of New York City,” Abed said.

At the subsequent swearing-in ceremony at City Hall on the first day of the year, Mamdani will use his grandfather and grandmother’s Qur’ans. The campaign did not provide further details about these legacies.

A long Qur’anic journey into the hands of Mamdani

Zahran Mamdani takes the oath using the Quran as Mayor of New York City at Old City Hall Station, New York. Photo by Amir Hamjah/Pool via Reuters.

The manuscript was acquired by Arturo Schomburg, a black Puerto Rican historian whose group documented the global contributions of people of African descent. While it is unclear how Schomburg acquired the Qur’an, scholars believe it reflects his interest in the historical relationship between Islam and black cultures in the United States and across Africa.

Unlike the illuminated religious manuscripts associated with kings or elites, the version of the Qur’an that Mamdani will use is modest in design. It has a dark red cover with a simple floral medallion and is written in black and red ink. The text is simple and easy to read, suggesting that it was created for everyday use rather than ceremonial display.

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

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She said: “The importance of this Qur’an does not lie in luxury, but in ease of access to it.”

Because the manuscript is undated and unsigned, scholars have relied on its binding and text to estimate when it was produced, placing it sometime 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 reflects Mamdani’s multi-layered background. Mamdani is a South Asian New Yorker born in Uganda, while Dawaji is Syrian-American.

Identity and controversy

Zahran Mamdani, alongside his wife Rama Aldawaji, on January 1, the day he was sworn in as Mayor of New York City at Old City Hall Station, New York. Photo by Amir Hamjah/Pool via Reuters.

The rapid rise of a Muslim democratic socialist also led to a wave of anti-Islamic rhetoric, amplified by national interest in the race.

In an emotional speech days before the election, Mamdani said the hostility strengthened his resolve to be clear about his faith.

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

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

This backlash is not new. In 2006, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, faced condemnation from conservatives after he chose to use the Qur’an in his ceremonial swearing-in.

After the opening, the Holy Qur’an will be displayed to the public at the New York Public Library. Abid said she hopes the interest surrounding the concert — both supportive and critical — will prompt more people to explore the library’s collections documenting Muslim life in New York, from Armenian and Arabic music recorded in the city’s early 20th century to first-hand accounts of Islamophobia after the September 11 attacks.

“This manuscript was intended to be used by ordinary readers when it was produced,” Abed said. “Today it lives in a public library where anyone can find it.”

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