NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani on Thursday became the first New York City mayor to be sworn in using a Quran.
The first Muslim and South Asian mayor of the United States’ biggest metropolis, Mamdani used his grandfather’s Quran and a 200-year-old copy on loan from the New York Public Library (NYPL) for the private swearing-in event held at a disused subway station under Times Square.
The 34-year-old Democrat took his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop just after midnight, a venue his office said reflected his commitment to working people. He is the city’s first Muslim mayor.
“Our campaign was built around listening to the people of New York, and we will govern in the same way. Tomorrow, we get to work,” Mamdani said on social media ahead of the inauguration.
His ambitious agenda includes rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses, promises made to address the city’s soaring cost of living. Political analyst John Kane of New York University noted that after an election, “symbolism only goes so far with voters. Results begin to matter a whole lot more.”
The relationship with President Trump, a fellow New Yorker, will be a decisive factor. Trump has repeatedly criticised Mamdani, calling him a “communist lunatic” and threatening to slash federal funding for the city before the November vote.
Despite this, the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November. Columbia University professor Lincoln Mitchell said the meeting “couldn’t have gone better from Mamdani’s perspective,” but warned the relationship could sour quickly.
A major flashpoint could be federal immigration raids, as Trump wages a nationwide crackdown. Mamdani has vowed to protect immigrant communities, while the mayor-elect has said he believes Trump is a fascist.
The private swearing-in was performed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud. A larger, ceremonial inauguration was scheduled for Thursday with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Mamdani will move from his rent-controlled apartment in Queens to the official mayor’s residence in Manhattan, a decision he attributed mainly to security reasons despite his campaigning on affordability.
Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at age seven. He compensates for his relative inexperience by surrounding himself with seasoned aides from past mayoral administrations and former president Joe Biden’s government.
As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will also have to reassure the city’s Jewish community of his inclusive leadership, a task underscored when one of his hires resigned after past antisemitic tweets were revealed.
