While New York City and the nation celebrated America’s 250th birthday, the city’s First Lady boarded a plane to Spain for a $3,400 Islamic wellness retreat — and the backlash was swift.

Story Snapshot

• Rama Duwaji, wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, skipped America 250 celebrations to attend a sold-out Islamic spiritual retreat in Mallorca, Spain.
• Duwaji serves as “artist in residence” and a host for the retreat, called “Plants of the Quran,” which costs guests $3,400 to attend.
• Republican city officials blasted her absence as a snub to one of the most significant patriotic events in American history.
• Duwaji has a history of controversial social media posts, including content that attacked U.S. service members and praised Palestinian terror groups — posts she later deleted and apologized for.

First Lady Flies to Spain While Nation Marks 250 Years

Rama Duwaji, the 29-year-old wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was spotted at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, July 4th week, boarding an eight-hour flight to Palma, the capital of Mallorca, Spain. She was heading to a sold-out retreat called “Plants of the Quran,” organized by a for-profit group called The Women’s Sanctuary. The retreat runs through Monday and centers on plants mentioned in Islamic texts, with art sessions, botanical workshops, and spiritual reflection.

Duwaji is not just an attendee — she serves as the group’s “artist in residence” and is one of the retreat’s hosts. The event costs guests $3,400 to attend. After Mallorca, she is scheduled to help lead a second sold-out Women’s Sanctuary retreat in Corsica, France, running July 9–14. That retreat is titled “Mary in the Quran.” Mayor Mamdani stayed in New York and took part in official city events tied to the America 250 celebrations.

Republican Officials Speak Out

The timing drew sharp criticism from Republican city council members. Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola did not hold back. “Nothing says ‘America 250’ quite like skipping the celebration for a Mediterranean vacation,” she said, “but I am not surprised because she has made her hatred for America very evident.” Staten Island Councilman Frank Morano called the absence disappointing and said it was a missed chance to show up for the city and the country.

Morano made clear the issue was not about whether Duwaji had the right to travel. “No one is saying elected officials and their families can’t take vacations,” he said, “but this was a moment to show up for the city and for the country, and she missed it.” The mayor’s office did not address the criticism directly. It did confirm that Duwaji was not accompanied by any New York City Police Department officers from the first couple’s security detail.

A History of Controversial Posts

The trip reignited an older controversy. Earlier this year, past social media posts by Duwaji surfaced and spread widely. The Washington Free Beacon reported in March that her since-deleted posts included content praising Palestinian terror groups and attacking U.S. service members who assisted Israel. In one 2015 repost on Tumblr, she wrote that “American soldiers fighting in imperialist wars are not brave nor are they fighting for anyone’s freedom.” She has since apologized for many of those posts and deleted her accounts.

Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji skips America 250 celebrations for Islamic ‘spiritual wellness’ retreat in Spain https://t.co/El5uQ4lbUy

— Susan Smith (@DogSmartManNot) July 6, 2026

Mayor Mamdani has argued that his wife should not face scrutiny because she holds no formal role in his administration. That argument has not satisfied critics, especially given the timing of her overseas trip. New York City is America’s largest city. Its First Lady skipping the nation’s 250th birthday — while holding a paid hosting role at a foreign retreat — is exactly the kind of moment that fuels public frustration. For many New Yorkers, this wasn’t just bad optics. It felt like a statement.

Sources:

twitchy.com, nypost.com, hindustantimes.com, aol.com, x.com, foxnews.com, wcti12.com, facebook.com, youtube.com, journals.researchsynergypress.com, manifold.open.umn.edu, frontiersin.org, www3.d125.org, sites.google.com, instagram.com, ignited.in, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov