Will Mamdani's wife have NYPD cover in Syria, Lebanon? Row erupts over her trip
Rama Duwaji's planned Syria and Lebanon trip has sparked a row between City Hall and the NYPD over whether police officers will accompany Zohran Mamdani's wife, amid security concerns and travel warnings.
A planned September trip by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji, to Syria and Lebanon has triggered a row over whether she will be accompanied by New York Police Department officers, after City Hall said her security detail would join her but the NYPD later denied it. Duwaji, 29, is scheduled to travel to both countries from September 20 to visit family. Both Syria and Lebanon are under the US State Department's "Do Not Travel" advisory.
The controversy intensified after City Hall said Duwaji's NYPD security detail would travel with her. The NYPD, however, later rejected that claim. The conflicting statements have raised questions about who approved the trip, whether NYPD officers could legally and operationally provide protection in countries under the highest US travel advisory and whether city resources should be used for a private overseas visit.
According to The New York Post, Duwaji requested NYPD security after travelling abroad last month without police protection. Mayoral spokesperson Dora Pekec initially confirmed that the security detail would accompany her.
"Upon the strong recommendation of the NYPD, the First Lady's security detail will be joining her when she travels to visit family in Syria and Lebanon," Pekec told the Post.
The NYPD, however, offered a sharply different account.
"The NYPD does not send officers to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons not linked to investigative work," an NYPD spokesperson told The Post.
The department also said the trip was not being undertaken on official city business.
"This is not an investigative trip, and therefore, NYPD personnel will not be travelling there for it."
NYPD, CITY HALL GIVE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS
The conflicting statements have created an unusual situation for the Mamdani administration. City Hall indicated that Duwaji's security detail would accompany her after what it described as a strong recommendation from the NYPD. The police department then made clear that officers would not travel with her for the planned visit. A source familiar with the trip told The Post that Duwaji specifically requested security after she travelled overseas last month without police protection.
The row also comes at a particularly demanding time for the NYPD. Duwaji's planned trip overlaps with the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. The annual gathering brings world leaders, diplomats and large security operations to the city.
NYPD resources are expected to be heavily stretched during the event. The situation could become even more demanding after Mamdani urged New Yorkers to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the UN gathering.
DUWAJI'S CONNECTIONS TO THE MIDDLE EAST
Duwaji has deep personal links to the Middle East. She is a Syrian-American artist, animator, illustrator and ceramist. She was born in Texas to Syrian parents and grew up in New Jersey and Dubai.
Her parents, Marwan Duwaji and Dr Bariah Dardari, are from Damascus. Her family's connections to Syria also extend to humanitarian work. Her mother has participated in medical and humanitarian missions in the region through the Syrian American Medical Society.
Duwaji also has a connection to Lebanon through her artistic career. She completed an artist residency in Beirut before moving to New York City in 2021. Her work often explores Arab identity, womanhood, female solidarity, migration and social justice.
Her recent international travel has also included events in Europe. Last month, Duwaji co-hosted a pro-Palestinian, all-female spiritual retreat on the French island of Corsica. Before that, she travelled to Spain, where she served as an "artist-in-residence" at a sold-out "Plants Of The Quran" workshop in Mallorca.
She did not have NYPD officers accompanying her on those trips.
A planned September trip by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji, to Syria and Lebanon has triggered a row over whether she will be accompanied by New York Police Department officers, after City Hall said her security detail would join her but the NYPD later denied it. Duwaji, 29, is scheduled to travel to both countries from September 20 to visit family. Both Syria and Lebanon are under the US State Department's "Do Not Travel" advisory.
The controversy intensified after City Hall said Duwaji's NYPD security detail would travel with her. The NYPD, however, later rejected that claim. The conflicting statements have raised questions about who approved the trip, whether NYPD officers could legally and operationally provide protection in countries under the highest US travel advisory and whether city resources should be used for a private overseas visit.
According to The New York Post, Duwaji requested NYPD security after travelling abroad last month without police protection. Mayoral spokesperson Dora Pekec initially confirmed that the security detail would accompany her.
"Upon the strong recommendation of the NYPD, the First Lady's security detail will be joining her when she travels to visit family in Syria and Lebanon," Pekec told the Post.
The NYPD, however, offered a sharply different account.
"The NYPD does not send officers to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons not linked to investigative work," an NYPD spokesperson told The Post.
The department also said the trip was not being undertaken on official city business.
"This is not an investigative trip, and therefore, NYPD personnel will not be travelling there for it."
NYPD, CITY HALL GIVE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS
The conflicting statements have created an unusual situation for the Mamdani administration. City Hall indicated that Duwaji's security detail would accompany her after what it described as a strong recommendation from the NYPD. The police department then made clear that officers would not travel with her for the planned visit. A source familiar with the trip told The Post that Duwaji specifically requested security after she travelled overseas last month without police protection.
The row also comes at a particularly demanding time for the NYPD. Duwaji's planned trip overlaps with the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. The annual gathering brings world leaders, diplomats and large security operations to the city.
NYPD resources are expected to be heavily stretched during the event. The situation could become even more demanding after Mamdani urged New Yorkers to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the UN gathering.
DUWAJI'S CONNECTIONS TO THE MIDDLE EAST
Duwaji has deep personal links to the Middle East. She is a Syrian-American artist, animator, illustrator and ceramist. She was born in Texas to Syrian parents and grew up in New Jersey and Dubai.
Her parents, Marwan Duwaji and Dr Bariah Dardari, are from Damascus. Her family's connections to Syria also extend to humanitarian work. Her mother has participated in medical and humanitarian missions in the region through the Syrian American Medical Society.
Duwaji also has a connection to Lebanon through her artistic career. She completed an artist residency in Beirut before moving to New York City in 2021. Her work often explores Arab identity, womanhood, female solidarity, migration and social justice.
Her recent international travel has also included events in Europe. Last month, Duwaji co-hosted a pro-Palestinian, all-female spiritual retreat on the French island of Corsica. Before that, she travelled to Spain, where she served as an "artist-in-residence" at a sold-out "Plants Of The Quran" workshop in Mallorca.
She did not have NYPD officers accompanying her on those trips.
A planned September trip by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji, to Syria and Lebanon has triggered a row over whether she will be accompanied by New York Police Department officers, after City Hall said her security detail would join her but the NYPD later denied it. Duwaji, 29, is scheduled to travel to both countries from September 20 to visit family. Both Syria and Lebanon are under the US State Department's "Do Not Travel" advisory.
The controversy intensified after City Hall said Duwaji's NYPD security detail would travel with her. The NYPD, however, later rejected that claim. The conflicting statements have raised questions about who approved the trip, whether NYPD officers could legally and operationally provide protection in countries under the highest US travel advisory and whether city resources should be used for a private overseas visit.
According to The New York Post, Duwaji requested NYPD security after travelling abroad last month without police protection. Mayoral spokesperson Dora Pekec initially confirmed that the security detail would accompany her.
"Upon the strong recommendation of the NYPD, the First Lady's security detail will be joining her when she travels to visit family in Syria and Lebanon," Pekec told the Post.
The NYPD, however, offered a sharply different account.
"The NYPD does not send officers to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons not linked to investigative work," an NYPD spokesperson told The Post.
The department also said the trip was not being undertaken on official city business.
"This is not an investigative trip, and therefore, NYPD personnel will not be travelling there for it."
NYPD, CITY HALL GIVE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS
The conflicting statements have created an unusual situation for the Mamdani administration. City Hall indicated that Duwaji's security detail would accompany her after what it described as a strong recommendation from the NYPD. The police department then made clear that officers would not travel with her for the planned visit. A source familiar with the trip told The Post that Duwaji specifically requested security after she travelled overseas last month without police protection.
The row also comes at a particularly demanding time for the NYPD. Duwaji's planned trip overlaps with the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. The annual gathering brings world leaders, diplomats and large security operations to the city.
NYPD resources are expected to be heavily stretched during the event. The situation could become even more demanding after Mamdani urged New Yorkers to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the UN gathering.
DUWAJI'S CONNECTIONS TO THE MIDDLE EAST
Duwaji has deep personal links to the Middle East. She is a Syrian-American artist, animator, illustrator and ceramist. She was born in Texas to Syrian parents and grew up in New Jersey and Dubai.
Her parents, Marwan Duwaji and Dr Bariah Dardari, are from Damascus. Her family's connections to Syria also extend to humanitarian work. Her mother has participated in medical and humanitarian missions in the region through the Syrian American Medical Society.
Duwaji also has a connection to Lebanon through her artistic career. She completed an artist residency in Beirut before moving to New York City in 2021. Her work often explores Arab identity, womanhood, female solidarity, migration and social justice.
Her recent international travel has also included events in Europe. Last month, Duwaji co-hosted a pro-Palestinian, all-female spiritual retreat on the French island of Corsica. Before that, she travelled to Spain, where she served as an "artist-in-residence" at a sold-out "Plants Of The Quran" workshop in Mallorca.
She did not have NYPD officers accompanying her on those trips.
