Not only Muslims in the United States: In many Arab and Muslim‑majority countries, this week’s election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor drew celebration. Among those congratulating him were Syria — where he became a genuine star — Shiite‑majority Iran, as well as Egypt and Qatar.
In Syria, the jubilation was driven in part by the fact that Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, is of Syrian origin. Arab news channels asked repeatedly this week: “Who is Rama Duwaji?” They quoted posts on Facebook by Syrian media figures such as Karam Nashar, who wrote: “I love how the Syrians call Zohran Mamdani ‘our brother‑in‑law.’ Poor man thought he was marrying one Syrian woman. No, my friend Zohran, now you belong to the whole nation.”
Mamdani's election video in Arabic
Also posting on Facebook was Syrian writer Abd al‑Karim Bakkar, with more than three million followers, who wrote: “The world is changing. The world has awakened to wonderful news — the victory of Mamdani in the biggest city in America. I rejoiced that he is a Muslim, and this rightful victory, God willing, will open doors for other young people to succeed there. I also rejoiced that the new New York mayor is our brother‑in‑law, because his wife is of Syrian origin, but I rejoiced even more that he carries the voice of the marginalized, the working class and the poor. Maybe he will bring a fairer way of life to New York against unbridled capitalism.”
Despite the Syrian enthusiasm, they did not invent the nickname for Mamdani. The new mayor himself used it in an Arabic campaign video he released — a video that received wide coverage on Arabic networks.
2 View gallery
The new New York mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji
(Photo: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)
In Iran, where the majority of the population are Shiites — the same branch of Islam to which Mamdani belongs — his historic win in New York attracted wide coverage in local media. His image appeared on most front pages in the Islamic Republic after the victory, despite the deep rivalry between the ayatollahs’ regime and the United States.
Mamdani’s win also triggered increased curiosity in the Arab world about other members of his family. On the website of the Egyptian newspaper Al‑Youm Al‑Sabaa, an article appeared about the books and work of Mamdani’s father, Mahmud Mamdani, a professor at Columbia University who has written extensively on minorities and colonialism. Media outlets expressed growing interest in the elder Mamdani.
Front‑page stories followed Mamdani’s win — in the Lebanese Al‑Akhbar newspaper (associated with Hezbollah), the headline read: “Israel and New York’s Apple — a turning point.” In the Qatari The New Arab, the headline stated: “Trump wounded politically.” The Qatari network Al Jazeera published an article titled: “Is Zohran Mamdani one of us?” The article noted that Arab media celebrated the victory, widely seen as evidence of a shift in Western public opinion. It added that Mamdani’s open support for a cease‑fire in Gaza and criticism of Israeli policy were key to the Arab celebrations, and that many analysts described his win as a crushing blow to Zionism and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The article also pointed out that, due to the complexity of his identity, every Arab group in effect found part of itself in him. Yet it emphasized that although he criticizes the American establishment and Israel, he still operates within the system and — despite his background — above all appeals to New York voters, not to any Arab capital.