- - Mamdani uses Qurans for mayoral oath, putting Muslim faith on display

Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY January 2, 2026 at 1:40 AM

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Newly sworn in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Muslim faith was front and center during his Jan. 1 inauguration, as he swore his oath of office on a pair of Qurans ‒ Islam’s holiest book ‒ before an imam led the crowd in prayer.

The Qurans chosen by Mamdani belonged respectively to his grandfather and Arturo Schomburg, the Black writer and historian, according to The New York Times. Mamdani, 34, is the city's first Muslim mayor, and and his election sparked concern among many conservatives, especially supporters of Israel who were disturbed by his strong advocacy for Palestinian rights and his opposition to Israel's existence as a Jewish state.

Some social media memes have sought to link Mamdani to the 9/11 attackers through their shared faith. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican from upstate New York, has repeatedly and inaccurately called Mamdani a "jihadist." Trump ally Laura Loomer, a self-described "proud Islamophobe" with a wide following, has said New York would soon have sharia law.

1 / 8Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York CityZohran Mamdani is sworn in as New York City's 112th mayor by New York Attorney General Letitia James, left, alongside his wife Rama Duwaji, right, in the former City Hall subway station on Jan. 1, 2026 in New York City. Mamdani's term as mayor begins immediately in the new year, and a public inauguration will also take place in the afternoon at City Hall.

Mamdani has previously said he had been told to downplay his faith when seeking elected office, but rejected that advice. While many American politicians take the oath of office on a Christian Bible, there's typically no requirement for a religious component to the oath.

More: Amid attacks on his faith, Zohran Mamdani excites Muslim, South Asian voters

In leading the crowd in prayer, Imam Khalid Latif offered an invocation focused on how Mamdani's coalition speaks for ordinary New Yorkers, not only the wealthy or powerful. Latif is the executive director and co-founder of the Islamic Center of New York City, and was appointed a New York City Police Department chaplain in 2007. "Never let him forget that this office exists to serve the people, not to rise above them," Latif said in his prayer. "We lift up all those who came together to make what many said could never happen, happen."

Zohran Mamdani shares a moment with his wife Rama Duwaji as he is sworn in as New York City's 112th mayor in the former City Hall subway station on Jan. 1, 2026 in New York City.

He continued: "Let no one have to choose between rent and dignity, between medicine and meals, between staying and surviving," Latif said. "Let policy be shaped by compassion and budgets reflective of our values."

Mamdani's faith did bring out Islamophobic attacks, however. "The enemy is inside the gates," Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville from Alabama posted on social media upon learning that Zohran Mamdani became the first mayor of New York City to be sworn in using a Quran.

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zohran Mamdani uses Qurans during oath for NYC mayoral office

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