In a first for New York, Zohran Mamdani to be sworn in as Mayor on Quran
New York: Incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani will take his oath of office on a centuries-old Quran, marking the first time a mayor of New York City will be sworn in using Islam’s holy text, according to local media reports.
The move comes against the backdrop of a series of historic moments as Mamdani prepares to assume office.
When the 34-year-old Democrat formally becomes mayor shortly after midnight, he will be the first Muslim, the first South Asian and the first African-born individual to hold the city’s top executive post.
Mamdani’s team has planned two swearing-in ceremonies, following a long-standing New York tradition under which a new Mayor’s term officially begins the moment the New Year starts, the New York Times reported.
The first oath-taking ceremony will be held just after midnight in a private setting attended by close family members at the former City Hall subway station in Manhattan.
The historic station, one of the original stops on New York City’s earliest underground transit line, has been closed since 1945 and is rarely opened to the public.
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams and former mayor Bill de Blasio had also followed similar dual-inauguration traditions, with an initial oath taken shortly after midnight followed by a larger public ceremony later in the day.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is a political supporter of Mamdani and a notable opponent of US President Donald Trump, will administer the midnight swearing-in ceremony.
Mamdani’s office said the decision to hold the ceremony at the long-shuttered subway station reflects his “commitment to the working people who keep our city running every day”.
Mamdani has described the site as symbolic of a time when New York invested heavily in public infrastructure to improve everyday life, an ambition he has said his administration intends to revive.
Later on Thursday afternoon, Mamdani will take the oath of office again during a public ceremony on the steps of City Hall. That event will be administered by Senator Bernie Sanders, one of Mamdani’s political inspirations, and is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. local time.
Opening remarks at the public ceremony will be delivered by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a close ally of the mayor-elect.