Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York mayor with historic Quran

"He then plans to use two copies of the Quran that belonged to his grandfather and grandmother for a daytime ceremony at New York City Hall on Friday. The historic Quran, borrowed from the library, once belonged to Arturo Schomburg, a Black historian and writer who sold his collection of 4,000 books to the NYPL in 1926. His collection became the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Schomburg was born in Puerto Rico in the 1870s to parents of German and Afro-Caribbean descent."

"The small size of the Quran and its black and red ink suggest it was designed for everyday use, the library said. The edition is neither signed nor dated, but its minute naskh script and its binding, featuring a gilt-stamped medallion filled with a floral composition, suggest it was produced in Ottoman Syria in the 19th century, the library added."

"He later immigrated to New York and was a key player in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s a period of intense cultural and intellectual flourishing within New York's Black community. The library praised Mamdani's decision to use Schomburg's Quran because of its connection to one of New York's most groundbreaking scholars and for its simple, functional qualities."

Zohran Mamdani became the first New York City mayor sworn in using a Quran and the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of the city. He used his grandfather's Quran and a 200-year-old copy on loan from the New York Public Library for a private swearing-in at a disused subway station under Times Square. He plans to use two family Qurans that belonged to his grandfather and grandmother at a public ceremony at New York City Hall. The historic Quran once belonged to Arturo Schomburg, whose 4,000-book collection created the Schomburg Center after he sold it to the NYPL in 1926. The library noted the Quran's small size, black and red ink, minute naskh script, and a gilt-stamped Ottoman Syrian 19th-century binding, and praised its practical qualities and historical connection.

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