Zohran Mamdani: First NYC Mayor to be Sworn in on Quran

Zohran Mamdani will be the first New York City mayor to be sworn in on a Quran, taking office on January 1st. According to the New York Post, Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, will use at least three copies of the Quran for his swearing-in.

He will use his grandfather's Quran and one that belonged to Arturo Schomburg, borrowed from the New York Public Library, at a private ceremony at the Old City Hall subway station. At the public swearing-in outside City Hall, he will again use his grandfather's Quran and another family Quran.

Attorney General Letitia James will swear in Mamdani at midnight, while Senator Bernie Sanders will administer the oath later in the day.

Recent mayors have used religious texts with personal significance. Eric Adams was sworn in on a family Bible, while Bill de Blasio used a Bible belonging to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has stated that he wishes to be treated like any other New Yorker. Keith Ellison was the first federal lawmaker to use the Quran during his swearing-in in 2007.

The first ceremony will be held at the old City Hall subway station in Manhattan, honoring the city's workers. The second, public swearing-in, will take place on the steps of City Hall, with a speech by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.