January 1, 2026 | 02:34 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani will take his oath of office using the Quran. This is the first time a Mayor of New York City has used the Islamic holy book for an inauguration, marking a series of historic events for the city.
Reported by Fox News, the campaign team of the 34-year-old Democratic politician confirmed on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, that he would make the historic gesture on New Year's Day, January 1, 2026.
New York Attorney General Letitia James will hold a midnight ceremony in the closed Old City Hall Station, a historic disused subway station, before Mamdani is sworn in. Senator Bernie Sanders will hold the public inauguration on the steps of City Hall on Thursday afternoon.
Mamdani will use two family Qurans, as well as one belonging to Puerto Rican writer and activist Arturo Schomburg, who laid the foundation for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.
Schomburg was a Puerto Rican black historian whose collection documented the global contributions of people of African descent. Although it is unclear how Schomburg obtained the Quran, scholars believe it reflects his interest in the historical relationship between Islam and black culture in the United States and across Africa.
Simple Design of the Quran
Reports by TRT World state that the copy of the Quran to be used by Zohran Mamdani has a simple design. This is different from ornate religious manuscripts associated with royalty or the elite. Its cover is a dark red with a simple flower medallion and is written in black and red ink.
The simple, easy-to-read script shows that it was made for everyday use rather than ceremonial display.
The election of Zohran Mamdani has sparked a wave of Islamophobia rhetoric, reinforced by national attention to race. In an emotionally charged speech a few days before the election, Mamdani said that the hostility only strengthened his resolve to openly express his beliefs.
"I will not change who I am, how I eat, or the faith that I'm proud to call my own," he said. "I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light."
Criticism from Conservative Groups
The decision to use the Quran has drawn new criticism from some conservative circles. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville from Alabama wrote on social media, "The enemy is inside the gates," in response to a news article about Mamdani's inauguration.
Such negative reactions are not new. In 2006, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, faced condemnation from conservatives after he chose to use the Quran for his oath of office.
Although taking an oath using the Bible is a common tradition, it does not make it a rule. No law requires officials to use a particular religious text when taking the oath.
Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt did not swear on the Bible when taking the oath of office. Even President Donald Trump himself did not place his hand on the Bible during his inauguration.
After Zohran Mamdani's inauguration, the Quran will be exhibited to the public at the New York Public Library.
Read: Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani Pledges to Fight Islamophobia in New York
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