Mamdani makes history with Quran swearing-in as NYC’s 1st Muslim mayor

Zohran Mamdani, 34, became New York City’s 112th mayor on Thursday, using the Quran for his oath of office in what marks the first time the Islamic holy text has appeared at a mayoral swearing-in.

Catch up: The democratic socialist, who is also The Rebel Yellow’s 2025 Rebel of the Year, achieved multiple firsts as the city’s first South Asian, first Muslim, first African-born and youngest chief executive in more than 100 years. His midnight oath-taking occurred inside a closed subway platform below City Hall, where New York State Atty. Gen. Letitia James presided as he rested his hand on two Qurans: his grandfather’s copy and an 18th/19th century volume on loan from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library. Later that afternoon, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders conducted the public ceremony at City Hall. There, he also used his grandmother’s Quran.

Why this matters: Mamdani’s use of Qurans carries particular weight given the racism and Islamophobia he faced throughout his campaign. After his victory over Andrew Cuomo last November, right-wing commentators launched xenophobic attacks, including Matt Walsh, who wrote that “a third-world communist won in New York because New York is a third-world city now,” and Steve Bannon, who urged authorities to “ship him back to Uganda.” Elon Musk also dismissed him as “Mumdumi or whatever his name is,” exemplifying the name-based discrimination Asian American candidates routinely face.

By selecting a simple Quran from Schomburg’s collection, Mamdani directly rebuked those who questioned his place in American democracy. Before the election, he had responded emotionally to the attacks, saying “I will not change who I am, how I eat, or the faith that I’m proud to call my own. I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light.” His choice to prominently use his faith at the inauguration also demonstrates that Asian American and Muslim officials belong in the nation’s highest offices.

What New Yorkers can look forward to: In his inaugural address, Mamdani rejected advice to moderate his message, vowing instead to govern “expansively and audaciously” while pursuing “an agenda of safety, affordability and abundance.” The former Queens assemblyman outlined plans for citywide childcare funded through taxes on the wealthy, a freeze on rents for approximately two million rent-stabilized households and free, faster bus service.

He declared before thousands at City Hall, “I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.” As his administration begins implementing these proposals, it faces opposition from the Trump White House, which has threatened to cut federal funding. On Friday, Mamdani condemned President Trump’s military strikes in Venezuela, calling the capture of President Nicolás Maduro “an act of war and a violation of federal and international law.”