Zohran Mamdani to become first NYC mayor sworn in on Quran: 'Highly symbolic'

By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, December 31, 2025

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will take his oath of office on multiple versions of the Quran when he's sworn in as the city's first Muslim mayor on Thursday.

Mamdani, 34, will use his grandfather's Quran and one that belonged to Afro-Latino author and historian Arturo Schomburg for a private swearing-in ceremony at midnight on Jan. 1, according to The New York Times.

The initial swearing-in will be administered by State Attorney General Letitia James in an abandoned subway station beneath City Hall.

For the public swearing-in of the self-described democratic socialist at City Hall later on Thursday, which will be administered by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Mamdani will use Qurans that belonged to his grandfather and grandmother.

Hiba Abid, who serves as the New York Public Library's curator for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, told the NYT that she helped Mamdani pick out Schomburg's Quran to use for the inauguration ceremony. Schomburg was not a Muslim, but had an extensive collection of historic books.

"It's a highly symbolic choice because we're about to have a Muslim mayor swearing in using the Quran but also a mayor who was born on the African continent, in Uganda," Abid said. "It really brings together here elements of faith, identity and New York history."

Some pushed back against Mamdani's use of the Quran, including former U.S. Rep. David Brat, R-Va., who warned Islam is antithetical to the foundational belief system that built the United States. He also suggested some on the Left see Islam as an ally because of its antipathy toward Christianity, which restrains their political agenda.

"They do not like Christianity because it keeps them from their globalist ambitions and big-government ambitions," he said during a Wednesday episode of Steve Bannon's "The War Room."

"That's what's going on here. The Protestants believe, largely, capitalism versus Mamdani's socialism. There's another contrast."

Other public figures who have been sworn in on a Quran include Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who placed his hand on the Islamic holy book when he was sworn into Congress in 2007.

President Donald Trump at first dismissed Mamdani as a "communist lunatic" during the mayoral campaign and threatened to cut federal funding to New York City and send in the National Guard, though he struck a conciliatory tone after Mamdani met with him in the Oval Office following his election.

"We agreed a lot more than I would have thought," Trump said of their private meeting in November, which they noted focused on populist issues affecting the average person in Trump's hometown.

"We spoke about rent, we spoke about groceries, we spoke about utilities, we spoke about the different ways in which people are being pushed out," Trump said.

Mamdani thanked Trump for hosting their meeting, and noted that while they disagree on much, he and the president saw eye to eye on helping the citizens of New York, which Mamdani described as "a place of shared admiration and love."