Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is planning to travel to Syria and Lebanon next month, accompanied by a taxpayer-funded New York Police Department security detail. The trip is intended to visit family, according to the Mayor's office.
The New York Post reported that Duwaji, 29, requested security for her travels, citing a source familiar with the arrangement. The Mayor's office confirmed that the security detail would join her upon the "strong recommendation of the NYPD."
A source told The New York Post that the trip is "not official business" and that Duwaji is not undertaking any duties for the city. The decision to provide NYPD security for the trip has drawn criticism from Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism and a former politician. Hikind stated that sending police officers to war zones puts them in danger and that they could be perceived negatively.
Duwaji, a Syrian-American artist born in Texas, has previously described herself as a Syrian illustrator on her website. The US State Department has issued advisories warning against travel to Syria and Lebanon.
This trip follows Duwaji's travel outside the U.S. over the Fourth of July weekend. She was reportedly at an Islamic "spiritual wellness" retreat in Spain, which cost $3,400, and also co-hosted a retreat on the French island of Corsica. The Corsica event, titled "Mary in the Quran," focused on the life and legacy of Mary as the most honored woman in the Quran.
Earlier this year, Duwaji reportedly liked an Instagram post from the leftist group The Slow Factory that appeared to celebrate the October 7th attacks. The post included images of a bulldozer used to break through into Israel, with "Free Palestine" scrawled over it, and text stating "Breaking the walls of apartheid and military occupation."
When questioned about these social media activities, Mayor Mamdani defended his wife, stating, "My wife is the love of my life, and she is also a private person who has held no formal position on my campaign or in my City Hall." Duwaji has also been featured in The Cut magazine. 
