Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has claimed that his wife is not a public figure after it was reported that the first lady of New York City, Rama Duwaji, had liked posts on social media that celebrated the October 7 terrorist attacks, which saw the slaughter of 1,200 Jews in Israel.
The posts were made by left-wing groups on social media and included images of livestream footage from the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel. The post also showed a group of terrorists riding on an IDF vehicle that had been stolen, with the words, “Resisting apartheid since 1948."
“Breaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation. Oct. 7, 2023,” another post read, which showed a bulldozer used to break through the barrier between Gaza and Israel the day of the attacks. The posts showed that Duwaji had liked them, per Jewish Insider.
“My wife is the love of my life, and she’s also a private person who has held no formal position on my campaign or in my City Hall,” Mamdani said in response to the reports, claiming that she is not a public figure.
https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2030346815560618015
“I, however, was elected to represent all 8.5 million people in the city. And I believe that it’s my responsibility because of that role to answer questions about my thoughts and my politics, and my stances," he added.
Despite Mamdani's assertion that his wife is merely a private citizen, Duwaji has been in the public limelight frequently, granting interview requests as well as appearing on the cover of New York Magazine. The New York Times has also published a number of pieces about Duwaji as Mamdani has been elected to office, including a profile of her art and fashion.