Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York’s first Muslim mayor

Zohran Mamdani was on Thursday sworn in as New York City’s mayor just after midnight in a historic ceremony at a decommissioned Manhattan subway station.

Making history as the first Muslim to lead the United States’ largest city, Mamdani took his oath with his hand placed on a Quran.

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

These milestones — as well as the historical Quran — reflect the longstanding and vibrant Muslim residents of the nation’s most populous city, according to a scholar who helped Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, select one of the books.

And while he has focused heavily on the issue of affordability during his campaign, Mamdani was outspoken about his Muslim faith.

He frequently appeared at mosques across the five boroughs as he built a base of support that included many first-time South Asian and Muslim voters.

Two Qurans were used during the subway ceremony: his grandfather’s Quran and a pocket-sized version that dates back to 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.

The 34-year-old, who was born in Kampala, Uganda, and grew up in New York City in the post-9/11 era, assembled a diverse coalition of lower-class New Yorkers, immigrants, and young people, promising a new era as he battled two representatives of scandal-plagued past administrations.

He defeated both outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who faced corruption and bribery charges that were later dropped by the Trump administration, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned from state office amid widespread allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied.

During the campaign, Mamdani was the victim of attacks he characterised as racist and Islamophobic, including an inflammatory AI-produced “criminals for Zohran Mamdani” ad.

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