Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York mayor

Liberal Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the new mayor of New York City at midnight on the 1st January, reports Reuters. With his wife Rama Ruwaji standing next to him, he became the first Muslim mayor in New York’s history, taking his oath on the Quran.

The ceremony was held at the city’s historic City Hall subway station and was officiated by New York’s Attorney General Letitia James. Another ceremony was held in office on the same day, as per traditions, with liberal Senator Bernie Sanders in attendance and a public party.

The National describes the interesting back story of one of the Quran copies used for the ceremony, which belonged to historian Arturo Schomburg, a New York resident of Puerto Rican descent. While he was not a Muslim, he collected books that represented African contributions to American culture, and his collection was sold to New York Public Library, establishing the Shomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Mamdani had originally joined the race as an unknown candidate, facing experienced politicians such as former governor Andrew Cuomo. The son of filmmaker Mira Nair and anthropologist Mahmood Mamdani, he served as a member of New York state Assembly from 2021 to 2025. However, he quickly gathered a large following with his socialist programme and quirky social media campaign.

He notably pledged to make the city more affordable for residents, with measures such as free buses, universal childcare and rent freezes. His bold programme included increasing minimum wages and raising top corporate tax. He also made news because of his position on Gaza, saying he would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to visit, in compliance with an International Criminal Court warrant.

He ultimately won the elections in early November with 50.8% of the vote, beating Cuomo’s 41.3% and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa’s 7%. His victory received heavy criticism from the Republican camp, with Donald Trump calling him a “communist”. The two men ultimately had a positive first meeting in November, with Trump saying he would be “cheering for him“.

Reuters, The National, BBC, Maghrebi.org