Newly elected NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani plans to take his oath of office using the Quran.

Zoran Mamdani to be Sworn in with Quran as NYC’s First Muslim Mayor

New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani’s campaign announced on Wednesday that, on New Year’s Day, he will make a historic choice by using the Quran during his swearing-in ceremony.

At 34, the Ugandan-born socialist will be the city’s first Muslim mayor and the first to take the oath with Islam’s holy text. The ceremony will be hosted by New York Attorney General Letitia James at Old City Hall Station, a historic but decommissioned subway location, shortly before a public inauguration on the City Hall steps by Senator Bernie Sanders.

Mamdani intends to use two copies of the Quran for his family and one previously owned by Arturo Schonburg, a notable Puerto Rican activist who established the Schomburg Center for the Study of Black Culture in Harlem.

Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is set to deliver opening remarks at the inauguration, which is expected to be a public event.

During the election, Mamdani defeated former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, focusing on issues like affordability and proposing policies such as a rent freeze, city-run grocery stores, and free child care.

Interestingly, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer did not endorse Mamdani during the campaign. It’s not completely clear if this decision was linked to Mamdani’s arrest in 2023 for protesting the Gaza conflict outside Schumer’s residence.

He has also publicly labeled Israel’s military actions in Gaza as “genocide,” and his views on Israel have raised eyebrows. Back in college, he initiated the student group Palestine Justice. Despite this, he reassured that he would ensure the safety of Jewish New Yorkers. However, he recently appointed Ramzi Kasem as the city’s top attorney; Kasem has defended individuals connected to controversial incidents related to terrorism.