Photo Reuters. Zakhar Mamdani at the oath-taking ceremony on the Quran
This moment is historic: for the first time, a mayor of New York City has used a sacred Muslim text for the oath. The ceremony took place at midnight on New Year's Eve at one of the oldest subway stations — City Hall, which is currently not in operation.
“It is a tremendous honor and privilege for me,” Mamdani noted after taking the oath.
It is worth mentioning that he won the mayoral election, becoming the first Muslim to hold this position. The 34-year-old politician received the majority of votes, surpassing his opponent, former governor Andrew Cuomo.
This appointment is considered a significant event, as no Muslim has held the office of mayor of New York City before.
Zakhar Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian immigrant parents. His mother is the renowned filmmaker Mira Nair, and his father is the scholar Mahmood Mamdani. He lived in South Africa during his childhood and then moved to New York, where he obtained U.S. citizenship in 2018.
