Newly sworn in New York City MayorZohran Mamdani'sMuslim faith was front and centerduring his Jan. 1 inauguration, as he swore his oath of office on a pair of Qurans ‒ Islam's holiest book ‒ before an imam led the crowd in prayer.
The Qurans chosen by Mamdani belonged respectively to his grandfather and Arturo Schomburg, the Black writer and historian, according toThe New York Times. Mamdani, 34, is the city's first Muslim mayor, and and his electionsparked concernamong many conservatives, especially supporters of Israel who were disturbed by his strong advocacy for Palestinian rights and his opposition to Israel's existence as a Jewish state.
Some social media memes have sought to link Mamdani to the 9/11 attackers through their shared faith. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican from upstate New York, has repeatedly and inaccurately called Mamdani a "jihadist." Trump allyLaura Loomer, a self-described "proud Islamophobe" with a wide following, has said New York would soon have sharia law.
Zohran Mamdani sworn in as mayor of New York City
Mamdani has previously saidhe had been told to downplay his faith when seeking elected office, but rejected that advice. While many American politicians take the oath of office on a Christian Bible, there's typically no requirement for a religious component to the oath.
More:Amid attacks on his faith, Zohran Mamdani excites Muslim, South Asian voters
In leading the crowd in prayer, Imam Khalid Latif offered an invocation focused on how Mamdani's coalition speaks for ordinary New Yorkers, not only the wealthy or powerful. Latif is the executive director and co-founder of the Islamic Center of New York City, and was appointed a New York City Police Department chaplain in 2007. "Never let him forget that this office exists to serve the people, not to rise above them," Latif said in his prayer. "We lift up all those who came together to make what many said could never happen, happen."
He continued: "Let no one have to choose between rent and dignity, between medicine and meals, between staying and surviving," Latif said. "Let policy be shaped by compassion and budgets reflective of our values."
Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Zohran Mamdani uses Qurans during oath for NYC mayoral office
