OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:17 AM – Wednesday, December 31, 2025
New York City (NYC) Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, is set to become the first mayor of the Big Apple to be sworn in on a Quran, the central “holy book” of Islam, with his upcoming ceremony set to take place at midnight on January 1st.
The incoming 34-year-old NYC Mayor will hold two swearing-in ceremonies, including a private gathering with family, and a public ceremony followed by a block party.
By placing his hand on the Quran at both his midnight and daytime ceremonies, Mamdani will become the first person in New York City history to be sworn into the city’s highest office using the central text of Islam. The Mayor-elect has selected three distinct editions for the occasion, including a family heirloom and a rare 19th-century Quran.
Mamdani advisor Zara Rahim later reiterated that the NYC Mayor-elect will utilize his grandfather’s and grandmother’s Qurans, as well as the 19th-century Quran, which belonged to Arturo Schomburg, a Black writer and historian. Schomburg, born in Puerto Rico, previously sold his collection of over 4,000 books and artifacts to the New York Public Library in 1926.
For Mamdani, using the 19th-century Quran is meant to link the history of the African Diaspora with the city’s modern Muslim and South Asian communities, according to reports.
Rahim emphasized that Mamdani’s integration of the Quran in the ceremony will correct “a long deferred absence” of Muslim representation in public office.
“Let’s be honest, Muslims have not been in electoral life for decades like other ethnic groups and communities,” stated Muslim New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif, a Mamdani ally. “I think the Quran represents this example of extending solidarity to the Muslim community in New York City and, really, abroad,” she added.
The private midnight swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place at the abandoned Old City Hall subway station, reflecting Mamdani’s “commitment to the working people who keep our city running every day.”
His mayoral campaign has propped up issues such as providing rent freezes for subsidized units, taxpayer-funded bus fares, taxpayer-funded childcare, municipal grocery stores, and much higher tax increases for wealthy New Yorkers, which he defines as “individuals earning over $500,000 and households over $1 million.”
Mamdani also proposes raising the NYC corporate tax rate to 11.5%.
However, while Mamdani’s official platform specifically focuses on “taxing the rich,” economic analysts have raised concerns that his highly ambitious social programs may eventually require a broader tax base. Even if Mamdani avoids direct income tax hikes for those making under a certain amount, his policies could create indirect costs for average New Yorkers.
Increasing taxes on landlords and luxury properties often results in “pass-through” costs. If landlords face higher taxes, those costs are frequently passed down to tenants in non-subsidized, market-rate apartments — many of whom are middle-class families.
Additionally, another risk to Mamdani’s plan is out-migration. If the wealthiest New Yorkers — who currently provide at least 40% of the city’s tax revenue — decide to leave for another state, the city will face a massive “revenue hole.”
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