NYC first lady Rama Duwaji to travel to Syria and Lebanon with NYPD security detail
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, will visit Syria and Lebanon in late September, accompanied by a taxpayer-funded NYPD security team.
Rama Duwaji, the spouse of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is set to depart for Syria and Lebanon beginning Sept. 20, despite both countries appearing on the State Department’s travel warning list. A source close to the mayor’s security team said Duwaji specifically requested an NYPD detail after traveling abroad last month without police accompaniment. The mayor’s spokesperson, Dora Pekec, affirmed the detail’s presence, citing strong NYPD recommendation, but offered no further details on the trip’s agenda.
Duwaji, who identifies as a Syrian illustrator and has previously participated in artistic residencies in Beirut, has a history of pro-Palestinian activism. Former Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, condemned the deployment of officers, arguing they could be perceived as adversaries in the conflict zones. The mayor’s office has not indicated any official city business tied to the journey.
Why it matters
The trip raises questions about the use of public police resources for personal travel to high-risk areas.
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