Mamdani took oath on 18th-century Quran copied in Ottoman Syria

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday said that he took the oath during his inauguration using an 18th-century Quran copied in Ottoman Syria.

According to Mamdani, the manuscript belonged to Arturo Schomburg, a Puerto Rican-born Black scholar and bibliophile, who sold his collection of 4,000 books to the New York Public Library in 1926.

"This manuscript was copied in Ottoman Syria, and is written in black ink with red highlighting the text's divisions - no ornate decoration, it belonged to the everyday reader, and it now belongs to all New Yorkers as part of our City's next chapter," he said.

He underlined that citizens will be able to find the manuscript at the main branch of the New York Public Library, which opens its doors on Wednesday.

According to the library, Schomburg was the co-founder of Las Dos Antillas, a revolutionary anti-colonialist political organization that advocated for Cuban and Puerto Rican independence.

"This specific Qur'an, which Arturo Schomburg preserved for the knowledge and enjoyment of all New Yorkers, symbolizes a greater story of inclusion, representation, and civic-mindedness," said Anthony W. Marx, the library's president and CEO.

Mamdani was publicly sworn in as the 112th mayor of New York City on Thursday last week during a public ceremony at City Hall, becoming the first Muslim and South Asian to lead the largest US city, taking the oath of office on the Quran.

Besides being the first Muslim to lead the largest US city, Mamdani, 34, is the youngest person in generations and the first mayor of New York City to be born in Africa. He was born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian immigrant parents.

He won the mayoral race in the Nov. 4 election, defeating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, marking a historic victory for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Mamdani rose to prominence after winning a seat in the New York State Assembly in 2020, representing parts of Queens.

During his campaign, he focused on affordability and expanding social services, pledging free public buses, universal childcare, city-run grocery stores, expanded rent-stabilized housing, and raising the minimum wage to $30 per hour by 2030.