The Muslim mayor of New York had confirmed that Rama Duwaji would travel with police to Syria and Lebanon, but dismissed the measure after a strong controversy
The communist and Muslim mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, attempted to send an escort from the New York Police Department (NYPD) to accompany his wife, Rama Duwaji, during a private trip to Syria and Lebanon, but ultimately backed down due to the strong controversy generated.
The decision had initially been communicated by the mayor's own office, but was later publicly denied by the police force.
The controversy arose from the confirmation that Duwaji would have accompaniment from New York agents during her planned trip next month. The first lady, whom Mamdani described as a “private person,” was set to travel to the Middle East to visit her family.
Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji
The mayor's spokesperson, Dora Pekec, had confirmed that the security team would accompany Duwaji during the trip and stated that the decision was based on a recommendation from the NYPD itself.
“Following the firm recommendation of the New York Police Department, the first lady's security team will accompany her when she travels to visit her family in Syria and Lebanon,” Pekec said.
The statement raised the possibility that agents funded with public resources would accompany the mayor's wife during a trip that was not official in nature. A source familiar with the situation told The Post: “This is not an official matter. It does not contribute anything to the city.”
The NYPD denied Mamdani
The decision began to unravel when the New York Police Department itself publicly denied the Muslim mayor's version.
“The New York Police Department does not send agents to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons unrelated to investigative work,” a department spokesperson stated.
Zohran Mamdani and Rama Duwaji
“This is not an investigative trip and, therefore, NYPD personnel will not be deployed there for that purpose,” they added.
The response from the New York Police highlighted a direct contradiction to what Mamdani's spokesperson had communicated just a day earlier.
Mamdani attributed everything to a “misunderstanding”
In light of the controversy, Mamdani ended up changing the position initially communicated by his office. The mayor assured that his wife would ultimately travel without an NYPD escort and attributed the situation to a communication problem.
“There was a misunderstanding. She has not yet made that trip and when she does, it will be without any escort from the New York police,” Mamdani told PIX11.
The explanation marked a shift from the version initially disseminated by his administration. It was first reported that Duwaji would have police security during her trip, and then the mayor himself confirmed that this possibility was ruled out. Pekec, when later asked about the contradiction, referred to Mamdani's statements.
The mayor's office also did not provide further details about the planned trip for September 20 nor clarified if the purpose would be solely to visit family.
The destination had also raised questions due to the existing security warnings. Both Syria and Lebanon are on the “Do Not Travel” list of the U.S. State Department.
