# Zohran Mamdani used an 18th-century Ottoman-era Qur’an at his swearing-in

> New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he took his oath of office using an 18th-century Qur’an copied in Ottoman-era Syria. The manuscript, from Arturo Schomburg’s collection, is now on display at the New York Public L…

Published: 2026-01-08 · Desk: Latest · Source: Daily Sabah

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Wednesday that he took the oath of office at his inauguration using an 18th-century Qur’an copied in Ottoman-era Syria.

Mamdani explained that the manuscript once belonged to Arturo Schomburg, a Puerto Rican–born Black scholar and bibliophile who sold his 4,000-book collection to the New York Public Library in 1926. Written in black ink with red markings to divide the text, the Qur’an was made for everyday readers. Mamdani said it now belongs to all New Yorkers as the city enters a new chapter.

The manuscript is available for public viewing at the main branch of the New York Public Library, which opened to visitors on Wednesday. The library noted that Schomburg was a co-founder of Las Dos Antillas, an anti-colonialist organization supporting Cuban and Puerto Rican independence. Library President and CEO Anthony W. Marx said the Qur’an symbolizes inclusion, representation, and civic responsibility.

Mamdani was sworn in publicly as the 112th mayor of New York City last Thursday at City Hall, becoming the first Muslim and South Asian to lead the largest US city. At 34, he is also the youngest mayor in generations and the first New York City mayor born in Africa, having been born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian immigrant parents.

He won the November 4 mayoral 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 being elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, representing parts of Queens. His campaign focused on affordability and expanding social services, including free public buses, universal childcare, city-run grocery stores, expanded rent-stabilized housing, and raising the minimum wage to $30 per hour by 2030.

Original reporting: https://www.dailysabah.com/world/mid-east/nyc-mayor-mamdani-uses-ottoman-era-quran-for-oath-taking/amp
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