• Mamdani becomes first NYC mayor to take oath of office on Quran instead of Bible
• Ceremonies feature family Qurans and historic manuscript from Schomburg Center collection
• Private midnight ceremony followed by public celebration with Bernie Sanders

NEW YORK, NY (TDR) — Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will make history Jan. 1 when he becomes the first New York City mayor to take the oath of office on a Quran, marking a milestone for the nation’s most populous city and its vibrant Muslim population.

The 34-year-old Democrat will use at least three different Qurans during his dual swearing-in ceremonies, according to his senior adviser Zara Rahim. The historic choice reflects both personal faith and the diverse religious landscape of a city where hundreds of thousands of Muslims have long contributed to civic life.

Attorney General Letitia James will administer the official oath at midnight in a private ceremony at the abandoned Old City Hall subway station, where Mamdani will place his hand on two Qurans. Later at 1 p.m., Senator Bernie Sanders will conduct the public swearing-in on City Hall steps, where Mamdani will again use family Qurans.

Historic Manuscripts Join Family Heirlooms

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For the midnight ceremony, Mamdani will use his grandfather’s Quran alongside a pocket-sized manuscript from the late 18th or early 19th century. The historic Quran comes from the New York Public Library‘s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture collection and was acquired by Arturo Schomburg, a Black Puerto Rican historian.

The Schomburg Quran dates to the Ottoman period and features modest design with deep red binding and black and red ink script intended for everyday readers rather than ceremonial display.

“It’s a highly symbolic choice because we’re about to have a Muslim mayor swearing in using the Quran but also a mayor who was born on the African continent, in Uganda. It really brings together here elements of faith, identity and New York history.”

Hiba Abid, curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the library, helped Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji select the historic manuscript. For the public ceremony, Mamdani will use Qurans belonging to his grandfather and grandmother.

Breaking 400 Years of Tradition

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Most New York City mayors throughout the city’s history have placed their hands on a Bible during swearing-in ceremonies. Mamdani’s decision to use the Quran instead marks the first time in the city’s 400-year history that a mayor has chosen Islam’s holy text.

The choice joins Mamdani with a small group of prominent American elected officials who have used a Quran for their oaths of office. Keith Ellison, now Minnesota’s attorney general, became one of the first when he was sworn into Congress in 2007. Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota also used a Quran for her congressional swearing-in.

In New York, Shahana Hanif was sworn into the City Council in 2022 with her hand on a special family Quran her sister used during her wedding ceremony. Hanif said Mamdani’s plan underscores the inroads Muslims have made in city politics.

“Muslims have not been in electoral life for decades like other ethnic groups and communities. I think the Quran represents this example of extending solidarity to the Muslim community in New York City and really abroad.”

Multiple Historic Firsts

When Mamdani takes office shortly after midnight, he will represent several demographic firsts for New York City leadership. The mayor-elect will be the first Muslim, first South Asian, and first African-born person to lead the nation’s largest city.

Born in Kampala, Uganda to Indian parents, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven. He previously served in the New York State Assembly before winning the mayoral race in November.

The Schomburg Quran will go on public display at the New York Public Library following the inauguration. Abid said she hopes attention surrounding the ceremony will prompt more people to explore the library’s collections documenting Islamic life in New York.

Will Mamdani’s historic use of the Quran at his inauguration inspire other Muslim Americans to seek elected office?

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