Zohran Mamdani has been sworn in as mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim to take the oath of office in the United States’ biggest city.
Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in at a historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan just after midnight on Thursday, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath.
He will be sworn in again, in grander style, in a public ceremony at City Hall at 1pm by US Senator Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes.
In addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of award winning filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, a veteran academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims didn’t always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.
“This is truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said.
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