Mamdani takes oath as NYC’s mayor, first to use Quran in swearing-in ceremony

NEW YORK: Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City today, at the beginning of the new calendar year, marking several historic firsts for the city’s highest office. Mamdani, a South Asian, millennial and Muslim leader, is the first Muslim to serve as mayor and the first New York City mayor to take the oath of office using the Quran.

During his swearing-in ceremonies, Mamdani placed his hand on the Quran, Islam’s holy book, underscoring both his faith and the city’s diversity. According to his aides, he used multiple Qurans of personal and historical significance. For a private oath ceremony, Mamdani used a Quran that belonged to his grandfather as well as one from the personal collection of Arturo Schomburg, the renowned Black writer and historian. The Schomburg Quran was loaned by the New York Public Library, the New York Times reported.

At the public ceremony at City Hall, Mamdani used Qurans that belonged to his grandparents, highlighting the role of family and heritage in his public life.

The inclusion of the Schomburg Quran carried added symbolism. Arturo Schomburg, an Afro-Latino intellectual whose work helped shape the Harlem Renaissance, was not Muslim but preserved the Quran as part of his extensive archive documenting Black cultural, artistic and religious history. His collection later became the foundation of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Library officials said the moment reflected New York City’s layered history of migration, faith and identity. The Schomburg Quran will soon go on public display at the New York Public Library as part of a special exhibition tied to the 100th anniversary of the Schomburg Center.

While US law does not require elected officials to use a religious text when taking the oath of office, most New York City mayors have traditionally used a Bible. Mamdani’s decision to use the Quran was widely seen as a powerful statement of representation for the city’s large Muslim population, whose presence in civic leadership has historically been limited.

In a statement, a senior adviser to the mayor said the moment marked a long-overdue recognition of Muslims in New York’s public life, calling the inauguration a reflection of communities that have helped build the city but were rarely visible in its leadership.

Mamdani now joins a small but growing number of American elected officials who have used the Quran during their swearing-in ceremonies, signaling broader inclusion in the country’s political landscape.

Web Desk