Zohran Mamdani: Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the Mayor of New York City in a private ceremony in an abandoned beaux arts subway station.
Who is Zohran Mamdani?
Zohran, the son of Ugandan scholar Mahmood Mamdani and Indian-origin filmmaker Mira Nair, was born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991.
Mamdani has been critical of Western foreign policy and Zionism. He publicly condemned the suspension of students of Columbia University alleging “there has been no due process.”
The 34-year-old Mamdani was surrounded by wife, Rama Duwaji, and sworn into office by the New York attorney general, Letitia James.
Soon after taking over, Mamdani welcomed Mike Flynn, a veteran city planner as the city’s new transportation commissioner. The NYC Mayor said he wants to make the public transit network of New York “the envy of the world.”
In the past, US President Donald Trump has been critical of Mamdani saying he does not deserve a place in the country’s politics.
What Shook The World?
Mamdani became the first NYC Mayor to be sworn in using a Quran. Madmani became the first South Asian and the first Muslim Mayor of the United States’ biggest metropolis. He used a 200-year-old copy on loan belonging to Black historian Arturo Schomburg from the New York Public Library (NYPL) and his grandfather’s Quran.
In a post on X, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said, ““The enemy is inside the gates.” In another development, Dutch politician Geert Wilders said, “Invalid oath. No Quran. USA is not Islamic. Yet. Wake up America.”
Mamdani later announced Ramzi Kassem as the city’s next chief counsel. This news sent shockwaves across New York City and the United States. Surprisingly, Kassem served as the lead counsel for Ahmed al-Darbi who pleaded guilty in a terrorism conspiracy linked to al-Qaeda.
In 2025, Kassem represented a Columbia University student detained by federal immigration authorities. This placed him at the intersection of campus activism, immigration enforcement and accusations of antisemitism.
Interestingly, Kassem will oversee affecting policing, immigration cooperation, civil rights and housing.
