00:00That I will support the Constitution of the United States.
00:04Congratulations, Mr. Mayor.
00:12Please repeat after me.
00:15New York City has sworn in its first Muslim mayor, Zoran Mamdani.
00:21And during his oath ceremony inside City Hall, one detail caught nationwide attention.
00:26He took the oath using not one, but two Korans.
00:32The Constitution of the State of New York.
00:34The Constitution of the State of New York.
00:36And the Charter of the City of New York.
00:38So why two?
00:40And what did each book represent?
00:43Let's break it down.
00:45The swearing-in happened just after midnight as the new year began.
00:50New York Attorney General Letitia James administered the oath
00:53while supporters counted down the final seconds of the previous year.
00:58And then, the moment.
01:00Zoran Mamdani placed his hand on two Korans, each carrying its own powerful meaning.
01:06The first Koran belonged to his grandfather, a symbol of family,
01:11of faith passed down across generations,
01:14of a personal journey that brought Mamdani from his Ugandan birthplace
01:18all the way to the steps of New York City Hall.
01:21It represented home, roots, identity.
01:26The second Koran came from a very different place,
01:30the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture,
01:33part of the New York Public Library.
01:35This wasn't just any Koran.
01:37It's a small, pocket-sized edition,
01:40believed to date back to the late 18th or early 19th century.
01:44Scholars say it was likely produced in Ottoman-era Syria.
01:48It's considered a historical artifact,
01:50a reminder that Muslims have been part of New York's story for centuries.
01:55As curator Hiba Abed explained,
01:58this Koran brings together faith, identity,
02:02and the history of New York City itself.
02:05So, together, these two Korans told a story,
02:09one of personal heritage and one of shared cultural history.
02:14A bridge between family and community,
02:16past and present,
02:18private belief and public service.
02:21Mamdani now steps into office as New York's 112th mayor,
02:26succeeding Eric Adams.
02:28He comes from the Democratic Socialists of America
02:30and enters City Hall during a period of real challenge.
02:35New York continues to face a housing crisis,
02:37shrinking school enrollment,
02:39and staffing shortages across public agencies.
02:42supporters see him as a symbol of reform and representation.
02:47Critics are watching closely.
02:50After the private oath,
02:51a larger public inauguration is planned
02:53with Senator Bernie Sanders administering a ceremonial oath,
02:57followed by a block party open to the public.
03:00About 4,000 people are expected to attend.
03:02But beyond the celebrations,
03:06this moment will likely be remembered for that small table
03:10inside City Hall and the two Korans placed upon it.
03:14One carrying a family's faith,
03:17the other carrying the memory of a city's diverse past.
03:21Together, they mark the beginning of a new chapter
03:24for Zoran Mamdani and for New York City.
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