Mamdani's wife ditches America 250 for $3400 Islamic retreat on Spanish island

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Rama Duwaji, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife and New York’s first lady, flew to a Spanish resort island for a $3,400 Islamic “spiritual wellness” retreat as the country marked America’s 250th anniversary, the New York Post reported on Sunday, July 5.

The timing puts Duwaji’s overseas trip in sharp contrast with Mamdani’s Independence Day duties back home. He remained in New York and helped light the Empire State Building red, white, and blue.

Rama Duwaji heads to Mallorca retreat

Duwaji, 29, was spotted at Newark International Airport before taking an eight-hour flight to Palma on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, according to the report by the outlet.

The Texas-raised, Dubai-educated Syrian-American artist traveled for a sold-out event called ‘The Women’s Sanctuary,’ where she is listed as the “artist in residence,” the report said.

The ‘Plants Of The Quran’ retreat costs $3,400 for guests and began on Wednesday, running through Monday. The gathering centers on sacred plants mentioned in Islamic texts through “art, botanical workshops, and spiritual reflection,” according to the group’s website, as quoted in the report.

That placed Duwaji outside the country during the July 4 period, while Mamdani stayed in New York for the milestone anniversary celebrations.

Old America criticism adds sharper contrast

The trip also comes against the backdrop of Duwaji’s past social media activity criticizing the United States.

Citing reporting by the Washington Free Beacon, the source said that since-deleted posts included praise for Palestinian groups and criticism of US service members for assisting Israel.

One 2015 Tumblr repost declared, “American soldiers fighting in imperialist wars are not brave nor are they fighting for anyone’s freedom.”

The post continued that troops were “mercilessly sl***htering 3rd world civilians and fighting to maintain American hegemony,” according to the New York Post account.

The timing is especially striking because Mamdani himself remained in the city for Independence Day. According to the outlet's report, he was on hand on July 4 to officially light the Empire State Building in red, white, and blue.

Duwaji set for second Quran retreat

Duwaji’s overseas schedule does not end with the Mallorca gathering.

She is also scheduled to help host another sold-out retreat for the women’s sanctuary in Corsica, France, from July 9 through July 14, the report cited.

That retreat, as per the outlet, is titled ‘Mary In The Quran,’ and is described as an event that will “explore” in “depth” the “luminous legacy of Mary, the most honored woman in the Qur’an.”

The back-to-back retreats keep Duwaji abroad beyond the Mallorca event, with her second sold-out program beginning just days after the first ends.