New York City’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, will make history on New Year’s Day by using the Quran during his swearing-in ceremony, his campaign confirmed Wednesday.

Mamdani, 34, a Ugandan-born socialist who won a closely contested election in November, will participate in two ceremonies to mark his inauguration. The first will be a private midnight event at the historic Old City Hall Station, a decommissioned subway station, hosted by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The public inauguration will follow Thursday afternoon on the steps of City Hall, where Senator Bernie Sanders will administer the oath of office.

During the ceremony, Mamdani will place his hand on three Qurans: two from his family and one that belonged to Arturo Schomburg, the Puerto Rican writer and activist who established the foundation for Harlem’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The use of the Quran represents a significant cultural and religious milestone for New York City, which has never before had a Muslim mayor.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is expected to deliver opening remarks at the public inauguration, which will be free and open to all New Yorkers. The event underscores the progressive coalition that helped propel Mamdani to victory over former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani’s victory in November came after a campaign focused on affordability and progressive policies, including proposals for rent freezes, city-operated grocery stores, and universal free bus service and childcare. These ambitious plans reflect his socialist political orientation and have generated both enthusiasm and concern across the city’s diverse political landscape.

His rise to power comes at a politically polarized moment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer notably refused to endorse Mamdani during the campaign, though it remains unclear whether this decision was related to Mamdani’s 2023 arrest while protesting outside Schumer’s Brooklyn home over the war in Gaza.

Mamdani’s positions on Middle East politics have drawn particular attention. He has openly characterized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “genocide” and has disputed Israel’s identity as a Jewish state. During his college years at Bowdoin, he founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, further highlighting his long-standing involvement in Palestinian advocacy.

Despite controversy surrounding his foreign policy views, Mamdani has promised to protect Jewish New Yorkers. However, his recent appointment of Ramzi Kassem as the city’s next top attorney has raised eyebrows in some quarters. Kassem has previously defended convicted al Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Darbi and Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, who faced accusations of leading antisemitic demonstrations on campus.

Al-Darbi was convicted in connection with the 2017 al Qaeda bombing of a French oil tanker off Yemen’s coast and was later transferred to Saudi Arabian custody in 2018 during the Trump administration. Khalil’s case remains ongoing, though he has been released.

At the news conference announcing Kassem’s appointment, Mamdani expressed confidence in his choice, stating, “I will turn to Ramzi for his remarkable experience and his commitment to defending those too often abandoned by our legal system.”

As Mamdani prepares to take office, New Yorkers across the political spectrum are watching closely to see how his progressive agenda will translate into governance for America’s largest city. His historic inauguration marks not only a religious first for the city but also signals a potential shift toward more progressive municipal policies at a time when urban areas nationwide face significant economic and social challenges.