Latest news with #Duwaji
NDTV
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"Armed Guards, Phone Jammers": Inside Zohran Mamdani's Lavish Uganda Wedding Bash
Kampala: New York's Indian-origin mayoral frontrunner, Zohran Mamdani, reportedly celebrated his recent marriage to artist and animator Rama Duwaji with a three-day lavish bash at his family's sprawling compound in Uganda. The celebrations held at the sprawling Mamdani family estate in the upscale Buziga Hill neighbourhood outside Kampala were a heavily fortified affair, complete with armed military-style guards in masks, a phone-jamming system, and multiple security gates, according to a report by the New York Post. Uganda-born 33-year-old Mamdani had eloped with Duwaji, 27, in February. On Sunday, he informed his social media followers that he was heading to his homeland to celebrate his nuptials with filmmaker mother, Mira Nair, and professor father, Mahmood Mamdani, who own the property in one of Uganda's richest neighborhood-- home to billionaire businessmen like Godfrey Kirumira, who have stakes in real estate, tourism, petroleum and infrastructure. Inside Mamdani's Mega Celebrations Per the post report, the heavily guarded Mamdani estate was transformed into a party pad for the festivities, with Christmas lights strung through the canopy of trees in the garden and music blaring. Luxury buses and cars like Mercedes and a Range Rover were seen driving to the compound on Tuesday, the report cited sources as saying. "Outside the Mamdani house were more than 20 special forces command unit guards, some in masks, and there was a phone-jamming system set up - and all for the strictly invite-only Mamdani gate had around nine guards stationed at it," one witness told The Post. On Thursday, revellers reportedly danced to music from a local DJ while enjoying fruit juices, a typical addition for Indian-style events. The New York mayoral nominee reportedly addressed his guests later in the evening, with the party ending after midnight. "Then on Friday, inside the compound, there were military style tents being taken down when the party had what looked like Mamdani's personal security guards took over at the gates," they added. Per the Post report, houses neighbouring the Mamdani estate--that sits on two acres of lush gardens and a panoramic view of Lake Victoria-- can easily fetch more than $1 million. Mamdani's wealthy parents, 67-year-old Nair and her 78-year-old anti-Israel political theorist husband, live on the property in Uganda where the Democrat was born, but also split their time between New York and New Delhi. Kampala-native Mamdani moved to New York when he was 7 and became a US citizen in 2018. He met his Duwaji at a dating app, Hinge, and announced his marriage earlier this year. The pair now share a rent-stabilised apartment in Astoria. Outrage Over Celebrations As the Mamdani family celebrated their son's wedding, their neighbours were in mourning for former Ugandan Supreme Court Judge George Kanyeihamba, a neighbour who died on July 14. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni came to the area to pay his respects to Kanyeihamba, and "the street was blocked by the president's cars," according to a local. It's unclear if Museveni also attended Mamdani's party. Given the sensitivity of the situation, some locals called Mamdani's wedding bash "insensitive." "Because of the culture here, it was insensitive to have a wedding celebration in the same week as mourning - or 'Okukungubaga' - as it's called are still in mourning," one local said, pointing in the direction of Kanyeihamba's house, about three minutes away from the Mamdani property. "He has not even been buried, and we have his friends coming to give last words and to mourn before the burial next week, yet Mamdani is celebrating his wedding for three days," they added. However, the Mamdani property is isolated enough that some locals weren't even aware of the three-day wedding extravaganza.
India.com
02-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Meet Rama Duwaji – The Syrian-American Artist Who Met Zohran Mamdani On Dating App And Could Soon Be NYC's First Lady
New Delhi: She stood silently beside him. In the glow of victory, on a stage crowded with cheers, Rama Duwaji looked out at the audience. Calm. Composed. A little distant. For months, she had stayed away from the spotlight. On June 24, she stepped into it. Her husband, Zohran Mamdani, has won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor. However, the questions that followed were not just about politics. They circled back to her – Rama Duwaji. A name now deeply entangled in identity, art and controversy. Back in May, Mamdani had posted a statement. It came after critics accused him of keeping his wife out of the campaign. The reason, they said, was her Syrian roots, her solidarity with Palestine and her political art. Mamdani pushed back. He called her a remarkable artist. Someone who deserved to be known for her work, not her relationships. Until that night of celebration, Duwaji had kept a visible distance. No campaign posts. No media appearances. Her social media stayed personal – art, sketches, portraits and moments from her studio. The silence fueled the fire. Some claimed it was deliberate. A tactic to avoid backlash. The fact that she supported Palestine. That she criticised Israeli military operations in Gaza through her work. That she spoke openly through lines, shapes and color. But Duwaji's world does not begin or end with her marriage. She is 27. She now lives in Brooklyn. She was born in Texas. She was born into cultures. Her family, which came from Damascus in Syria, now lives in Dubai. She studied in Virginia. She did her master's in New York. She does not talk much about her parents. She prefers to leave that portion of her life in the quiet. She once said she went back to Dubai before the pandemic. She studied in Virginia. Completed her master's in New York. She does not talk much about her parents. She prefers to keep that part of her life quiet. She once said that during the pandemic, she returned to Dubai. Spent months with family. Reconnected. Reflected. It shaped her art, her sense of self and her understanding of home. Her illustrations speak. About Gaza. About immigration. About racial injustice. About campuses silencing dissent. She has drawn pieces in support of Palestinian students. One, in particular, stood out – an illustration for Mahmoud Khalil, detained this year over alleged ties to Hamas. She does not hold back in interviews either. In April, speaking to a youth-focused platform, she opened up. Her words were raw. 'Things are not okay in New York. I worry about my friends. My family. And sometimes it feels like it is all out of my control,' she said. Her art, she said, reflects what she sees. What she feels. From America to Palestine. From Syria to the edges of her sketchpad. But it was not always like this. Duwaji struggled with her Syrian identity. For years, she tried to hide it. She told people she was American. It was easier and safer. While living in the Gulf, she spoke little Arabic. Her mindset, she admitted, was shaped by the West. When she returned to the United States, something shifted. 'I was not fully American either. I did not feel connected to the people around me. So I stayed confused and unsure. Eventually, I embraced my Middle Eastern self. Whatever that meant. It is not entirely Syrian. Not fully Emirati. But it shaped my art and my voice,' she once said. She met Mamdani on a dating app. Hinge. They hit it off. He once joked, 'These apps still have hope.' In 2024, they got engaged in Dubai. A traditional nikah followed. Their wedding in New York was small. Close friends. Family. Intimate and quiet. The way they wanted it. Mamdani's team described the ceremony as private, joyful and filled with love. When he won the primary, he thanked three persons – his mother, filmmaker Mira Nair, his father, scholar Mahmood Mamdani, and Rama. He held her hand. Kissed it. And said softly, 'Thank you, Rama.' She smiled. Proud. Still distant. Still herself.
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First Post
27-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Zohran Mamdani met an illustrator on Hinge, then married her. Who is Rama Duwaji?
Zohran Mamdani's victory in the Democratic primary for NYC mayor brought his wife, Rama Duwaji, into the spotlight. The 27-year-old Syrian-American artist is known for her bold political artwork. She met Mamdani on the dating app, Hinge, following which the duo tied the knot in early 2025 read more For months, Rama Duwaji kept a low profile — a quiet figure in the background of one of New York's most closely watched political campaigns. But that changed on Tuesday night. As Zohran Mamdani declared victory in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, all eyes turned to his wife. The 33-year-old state assemblyman shocked many by defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo, securing more than 43 per cent of the vote compared to Cuomo's 36 per cent, in one of the biggest political upsets in decades, the Wall Street Journal reported. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD During his victory speech in Queens, Mamdani didn't miss the chance to honour the person who'd quietly supported him through it all. 'I must thank my incredible wife. Rama, thank you,' he said warmly, kissing her hand as the crowd applauded. Duwaji, 27, beamed by his side, sharing that she 'couldn't possibly be prouder' of her husband's achievement. New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) kisses the hand of his wife Rama Duwaji as they celebrate during an election night gathering. AFP If Mamdani unseats incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican opponent Curtis Sliwa in November, he would become New York City's first Muslim mayor — and Duwaji, its First Lady. Here's what we know about her. A Syrian American artist with strong political opinions Before stepping into the public spotlight through her husband's political win, Duwaji had carved out a space for herself in the world of art and activism. Originally from Damascus, Syria, Duwaji moved to New York in 2021. According to her L'AiR Arts bio, she has graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in communication design. Today, she's known as a Syrian-American illustrator whose work focuses on identity, resistance, and injustice, often through a pro-Palestinian lens. Her artwork doesn't shy away from making bold statements. One of her animations from May shows a young Palestinian girl holding an empty pot with the words 'Not a hunger crisis' across it. The scene then shifts to a group of people holding similar pots, overlaid with the words, 'It is deliberate starvation.' Alongside the post, she wrote, 'As I was making this, Israel has been bombing Gaza nonstop with consecutive airstrikes,' and added a link to a nonprofit supporting refugees and displaced communities. Duwaji has carved out a space for herself in the world of art and activism. She has collaborated with major global organisations, including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, and the Tate Modern in London. Reuters In an interview earlier this year, Duwaji was asked whether artists should speak out about global issues. Quoting singer Nina Simone, she said, 'An artist's duty as far as I'm concerned is to reflect the times.' She added, 'I believe everyone has a responsibility to speak out against injustice… Art has such an ability to spread it.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I don't think everybody has to make political work,' she continued, 'but art is inherently political in how it's made, funded, and shared. Even creating art as a refuge from the horrors we see is political to me. It's a reaction to the world around us,' she told the AP. Her work has reached far and wide. Duwaji has collaborated with major global organisations, including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE, and the Tate Modern in London. She also shares much of her work on Instagram, where she has over 1 lakh followers. Her posts often feature striking illustrations that call out Israeli state violence and criticise US policies around the conflict. From a dating app to wedding vows: Their love story Rama Duwaji and Zohran Mamdani's story is as modern as it gets — it started with a swipe. 'I met my wife on Hinge, so there is still hope in those dating apps,' Mamdani joked during an episode of The Bulwark podcast, laughing. While the couple hasn't shared exactly when they matched, Mamdani posted a photo on Instagram in April 2022, taken by Duwaji, hinting that their relationship was already blossoming then. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD By October 2024, the pair appeared to be engaged — Mamdani shared a photo of Duwaji with a ring emoji and the hashtag '#hardlaunch,' along with the caption, 'Light of my life.' Friends and followers quickly flooded the post with congratulatory messages. Earlier this year, the couple made it official with a civil ceremony at the New York City Clerk's Office, a place Mamdani called his favourite building in the city. 'The outside is just so beautiful and reminiscent of a different New York City, and the inside is in many ways public goods personified,' he told Interview Magazine. 'All of these New Yorkers getting married at the same time at different ages and at different times in their lives, it's very beautiful.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The two marked the moment with a poetic black-and-white photo that showed them in a New York City subway car, dressed simply, bouquet in hand, surrounded by unbothered commuters. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's wife Rama Duwaji is a Syrian-born illustrator and animator based out of Brooklyn, NYC. Instagram/@zohrankmamdani They later held a private nikkah (Islamic wedding ceremony) in Dubai, where Duwaji's family is based. But their relationship hasn't been all smooth sailing. During his campaign, Mamdani spoke out about the online abuse Duwaji received. 'Rama isn't just my wife. She's an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms,' he wrote on social media. 'You can critique my views, but not my family.' Through it all, she's stood by his side — quietly powerful, and now, unmistakably part of the public conversation. With input from agencies
Yomiuri Shimbun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Zohran Mamdani's Wife Rama Duwaji Is an Animator, Illustrator and Ceramicist. And They Met on Hinge
NEW YORK (AP) — Rama Duwaji's Election Day post on Instagram was only four words long, but said all it needed to say: 'couldn't possibly be prouder.' It was accompanied by a photo-booth strip of happy poses with her husband, Zohran Mamdani, and a voting selfie that would presage a momentous night: The 33-year-old state assemblyman would stun the political world — and opponent Andrew Cuomo — with his success in the race for the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor. While the ultimate outcome has yet to be confirmed by a ranked choice count, many across the country woke up Wednesday eager to learn more both about Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist who's now poised to be the nominee, and also about Duwaji, an animator and illustrator. Mamdani kissed her hand during his victory speech to supporters, thanking 'my incredible wife.' Duwaji was not a public presence during much of the campaign, but is active on social media through her work. In her art career, Duwaji has worked with The New Yorker, The Washington Post, the BBC, Apple, Spotify, VICE and the Tate Modern museum in London, among others, according to her website. 'Using drawn portraiture and movement, Rama examines the nuances of sisterhood and communal experiences,' it says. Duwaji, 27, who is ethnically Syrian and was born in Houston, Texas, also enjoys taking a break from her tech-based art to create her own ceramics, particularly illustrated plates in blue and white. And there's one very contemporary (and much-mentioned) fact that's emerged about the couple: They met on Hinge, the dating app. 'I met my wife on Hinge so there is still hope in those dating apps,' Mamdani said, laughing, on a recent episode of The Bulwark podcast. About six weeks ago the candidate posted a romantic set of photos showing the couple on their wedding day at the city clerk's office earlier this year. The lead photo was a black-and-white shot on the New York subway, specifically at Union Square in Manhattan. The smiling couple held onto a pole, Duwaji dressed in a white dress and black boots and holding a bouquet, as other riders minded their own business. In the accompanying text, Mamdani referred to online harassment the couple had experienced. 'If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be,' he wrote. 'I usually brush it off, whether it's death threats or calls for me to be deported. But it's different when it's about those you love. Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, at the City Clerk's office. Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race — which should be about you — about her.' 'Rama isn't just my wife,' Mamdani added. 'She's an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family.' Duwaji, in the comments, responded with humor: 'omg she's real.' In an April interview on art and activism, Duwaji was asked if artists had a responsibility to speak out about global issues. 'I'll always quote Nina Simone: 'An artist's duty as far as I'm concerned is to reflect the times,'' she said. 'I believe everyone has a responsibility to speak out against injustice,' she added, 'and art has such an ability to spread it. I don't think everybody has to make political work, but art is inherently political in how it's made, funded, and shared. Even creating art as a refuge from the horrors we see is political to me. It's a reaction to the world around us.' On Election Day, Duwaji's mother-in-law, filmmaker Mira Nair, posted a message to her daughter-in-law about art and its importance.
Time Magazine
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Meet Rama Duwaji, the Artist Who Met Zohran Mamdani on Hinge
Among a tightly-packed crowd on a subway train from Astoria to New York City Hall, Rama Duwaji was on her way to get married. Wearing a white gown with knee high boots, she walked into the city clerk's office with flowers in one hand, and Zohran Mamdani's hand in the other. Without an entourage, a close friend and photographer captured their exchange of vows. A few months later, far from the quiet and personal wedding ceremony, Duwaji found herself under bright lights in Queens in front of a roaring crowd. Her husband took her hand and kissed it, thanking her as he declared himself the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City. Mamdani, whose upset of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the primary has sent shockwaves through the state's political establishment, could become the first New York City Mayor in history to have met his wife on Hinge. Now in the spotlight, this is who Rama Duwaji is. The 27-year-old was born in Texas to a Syrian family and her roots remain at the core of her work. Duwaji is an illustrator and animation artist, exploring and celebrating female experiences through her art, from the seemingly mundane of reading and playing music to women 'rising against tyranny' and unsolved murders in Yemen. Duwaji also created illustrations highlighting the experience of Reem Ahmed, an architect from Gaza who was trapped under the rubble of her home for 12 hours after an Israeli airstrike which killed members of her family. In April, the artist shared a post titled 'Art in times of crisis,' in which she discussed feeling burnt out, living in a 'turbulent' New York City, and her belief that 'Art is inherently political in how it's made, funded, and shared.' Her online presence appears to be more private regarding her personal life, instead showcasing her various illustrations and animations. Many of these artworks focus on social and political commentary. An animation from May depicts a young Palestinian girl holding a large empty pot with the words "Not a hunger crisis" emblazoned across it, before transitioning into a view from above of several people holding similarly empty vessels overlaid with text reading, "It is deliberate starvation." "As I was making this, Israel has been bombing Gaza nonstop with consecutive airstrikes," Duwaji wrote in a caption, sharing a link to the account of a nonprofit aimed at supporting refugees and displaced people. The post came amid Israel's weeks-long, near-total blockade of aid to Gaza. Mamdani has been similarly critical of Israel's war in Gaza and said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited the city. His opponents have accused him antisemitism. 'I've said at every opportunity that there is no room for antisemitism in this city, in this country. I've said that because that is something I personally believe,' Mamdani told reporters last week. In April 2023, Duwaji shared an illustration of a woman with text reading "Eyes on Sudan," followed by slides including information on the plight of Sudanese citizens impacted by the country's civil war and ways to donate to support refugees and domestic violence victims. Her artwork speaks on a personal level, too. In 2023, she shared an illustration depicting a mother, arms around her son as he holds a bouquet of yellow flowers, captioned: "Turning 26 is all fun and games until aunties start showing up at your doorstep with their sons lookin like." Two years later, Duwaji was holding a different bouquet on her way to get married. Photographer and friend of the recently wed couple Kara McCurdy shared photos of Mamdani and Duwaji's wedding day earlier this year. 'I've known [Mamdani] was going to marry Rama for years, and I was there, at the city clerk's office with them when it happened. The three of us took the subway from Astoria to City Hall on a rainy day a few months back, and I got to celebrate two of my favorite people officially tying the knot,' she said on her website. Mamdani shared some of the photos on his Instagram in May, a few months after the ceremony. In his post, the New York state Assemblymember criticized online trolls for targeting Duwaji during his mayoral campaign. 'Rama isn't just my wife, she's an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms. You can critique my views, but not my family,' he said. The photos show the couples journey from their home in Astoria, Queens, to City Hall in Manhattan. After the ceremony, the newlyweds wandered through New York, their first moments as a married couple captured on the subway and in the rain on the streets that Mamdani could be Mayor of in just a few months' time. On the day of the primary election, as voters headed to the polls, Duwaji shared an Instagram post captioned: 'Couldn't possibly be prouder,' including photos of the couple, a voter-registration form, and a photo of a young Mamdani. After declaring victory in the primary, her husband will now look toward the upcoming general election, in which he will face candidates including current Mayor Eric Adams, who is mounting an independent run. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, has focused heavily on affordability during his campaign, pledging that he will freeze rent, make every city bus fare-free, and fight 'corporate exploitation.' Democrats have won the city's last three mayoral elections, making it likely that he'll go on to claim victory again in November—and that Duwaji will become the city's next first lady.
