The new mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, has taken office by swearing on two copies of the Quran, an unprecedented gesture in the city’s institutional history and one that marks the beginning of a new political stage in the largest city in the United States.
According to La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, the oath took place initially in the old City Hall subway station, now out of service, in a ceremony of reduced character. Mamdani did not use the Bible, as has been customary in previous inaugurations, but two copies of the holy book of Islam belonging to his family.
A gesture loaded with meaning
The choice of the Quran as the oath book, as well as the location of the ceremony, was presented by the mayor himself as a sign of his political priorities, especially in public transportation matters.
On New Year’s Day, a second ceremony was held, this time public and solemn, on the steps of City Hall. The oath was administered by Senator Bernie Sanders and presented by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both prominent figures in the most ideologized sector of the Democratic Party.
A defined political profile
Mamdani, 34 years old, has a trajectory limited to his time as a member of the New York State Assembly and assumes the mayoralty with a program of clear socialist orientation. After his inauguration, he began signing executive orders aimed at reversing decisions taken by his predecessor, Eric Adams, marking an immediate change in municipal management.
The city of New York, with an estimated population of 8.5 million inhabitants, presents a diverse social composition. According to statistics, around one million residents identify as Muslims, a relevant fact in the recent electoral context.