New York City First Lady Rama Duwaji is co-hosting a week-long spiritual retreat in Corsica focused on honoring the legacy of Mary and praying for Palestinian women. The event, which began July 9, is organized by The Women Sanctuary, a group focused on Muslim women, and is priced between $3,100 and $5,260.
Participants at the sold-out retreat will engage in lectures, daily prayers, and meals, with a particular emphasis on "our sisters in Palestine." The retreat's theme centers on Mary, described as "a Palestinian woman giving birth under occupation," and her significance in both Christianity and Islam. According to the group's website, Mary is the only woman named in the Quran, mentioned 34 times, and her story is presented as one of "unwavering faith, sacred retreat, and total devotion to Allah."
One attendee's account from a previous retreat, published in Vogue Arabia, noted a guest who had volunteered at Gaza's Nasser Hospital and spoke of mothers laboring "through terror and of tender life arriving in the shadow of death." The same account highlighted the parallel between Mary's plight and that of contemporary Palestinian women, quoting Mary's anguish as expressed in the Quran: "I wish I had died before this and had been long forgotten."
Scholars have expressed reservations about politicizing religious figures. Rachel Fulton Brown, a history professor at the University of Chicago, described the practice as "historically complicated" and unhelpful in addressing the current situation in Gaza.
Last year, participants at the Corsican retreat received handmade keffiyehs from Palestinian designer Sarah Musa, who directs profits from select styles to the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Both organizations have faced accusations from the Israeli military and NGO Monitor regarding alleged ties to Hamas, though both groups deny these connections. The Palestine Red Crescent Society states it is an independent body complying with international protocol, while the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund asserts compliance with U.S. laws to prevent donations reaching Hamas.
Duwaji, an artist and illustrator, previously skipped the United States' 250th-anniversary celebrations over the July 4th weekend to attend a "Plants Of The Quran" workshop retreat on the Spanish island of Mallorca. She has also "liked" social media posts that have been interpreted as glorifying Hamas and created illustrations for articles critical of Israel.
Nicolas Battini, leader of the nationalist movement Mossa Palatina in Corsica, noted that the island has historically been a refuge for Jews during World War II and has a strong pro-Israel sentiment. While stating Duwaji is free to participate in events on the island, he indicated her presence and views might be met with a "conflicted" reaction due to the islanders' relationship with Islam and pro-Israel stance.
The Women Sanctuary also organizes retreats in Tanzania, Portugal, and Spain. Duwaji's involvement in this year's Corsican retreat marks the second year the Women's Sanctuary program has been held on the island. The retreat takes place in a converted Capuchin monastery in the northern part of Corsica.