New York City First Lady Rama Duwaji traveled to Spain this week to attend an Islamic spiritual retreat during the nation’s America 250 celebrations, drawing criticism from some Republican officials and political commentators.
According to the New York Post, Duwaji departed from Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday on a flight to Palma, Mallorca, where she is serving as an artist-in-residence and host for a sold-out retreat organized by The Women’s Sanctuary.
The event, titled “Plants of the Quran,” began Wednesday and runs through Monday. Organizers describe the retreat as focusing on sacred plants referenced in Islamic texts through art, botanical workshops and spiritual reflection.
Following the Mallorca event, Duwaji is scheduled to participate in a second retreat in Corsica, France, titled “Mary in the Quran,” which explores the role of Mary in Islamic tradition.
The New York Post reported that attendance at the Mallorca retreat costs approximately $3,400 per guest, excluding travel expenses.
Duwaji, a Syrian-American illustrator and ceramic artist raised in Texas and educated in Dubai, traveled while her husband, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, remained in the city overseeing official Independence Day events and responding to a heat wave affecting the region.
Mayor Mamdani participated in New York City’s America 250 observances, delivering remarks from City Hall on Friday before attending the Sail4th 250 International Parade of Sail and a Fourth of July lighting ceremony at the Empire State Building.
The trip prompted criticism from several Republican elected officials.
Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola criticized Duwaji’s decision, saying it was disappointing that she was overseas during one of the country’s largest commemorative celebrations.
Staten Island Councilman Frank Morano similarly argued that, while public officials and their families are entitled to vacations, the anniversary represented an important civic occasion, per the New York Post.
The Mayor’s Office declined to address the political criticism but told the New York Post that Duwaji was not accompanied by members of the NYPD security detail assigned to the city’s first family.
The trip also renewed attention on Duwaji’s past social media activity. Earlier this year, previously deleted posts resurfaced in which she criticized U.S. foreign policy and expressed views regarding Israel and Palestine. Duwaji has since apologized for many of those posts, while Mayor Mamdani has maintained that his wife does not hold a formal government position and should not be judged based on past online comments.
The criticism also comes after Mayor Mamdani faced scrutiny over asking New Yorkers to conserve electricity by setting air conditioners to 78 degrees during an extreme heat wave.
