A growing examination of the online history of New York City’s First Lady, Rama Duwaji, has revealed a series of troubling posts from her teenage and young adult years. These posts, surfacing now, depict apparent celebrations of individuals and ideologies linked to terrorism, raising serious questions about her past beliefs.
In 2017, Duwaji shared an image on her Tumblr account featuring Leila Khaled, a prominent figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Khaled is infamous for participating in two airplane hijackings in 1969 and 1970 – acts of violence that shocked the world. The accompanying caption chillingly stated, “If it does good for my cause, I’ll be happy to accept death.”
The posts weren’t isolated incidents. In 2015, when she was seventeen, Duwaji reposted a tweet honoring Shadia Abu Ghazaleh, a terrorist involved in a bombing and multiple attacks against Israeli targets. The image accompanying the post showed Ghazaleh armed with a rifle, a stark visual testament to her violent activities.
Further exploration of her online activity uncovered a post featuring a Palestinian demonstrator sewing a flag during the First Intifada, accompanied by a caption referencing the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Another post displayed a Bangladeshi postage stamp saluting “the valiant freedom fighters of Palestine,” hinting at a broader pattern of support for groups involved in conflict.
Duwaji’s online expressions extended to direct criticism of U.S. foreign policy. A 2015 Tumblr post vehemently condemned the American military presence abroad, accusing soldiers of “mercilessly slaughtering 3rd world civilians” in pursuit of American dominance. The post ended with a dramatic flourish, “*drops mic*.”
She also engaged with posts attempting to deflect blame for terrorism away from Muslims, suggesting instead that “White People” were responsible for the creation and funding of Al-Qaeda. This rhetoric, shared in 2015, reveals a complex and potentially divisive perspective on the origins of global terrorism.
In another instance, Duwaji criticized Snapchat for including Tel Aviv in its live story feature, labeling the city’s existence as unacceptable and accusing Israelis of “atrocities” and supporting a “genocidal state.” The intensity of the language underscores a deeply held animosity towards Israel.
Born in Houston and identifying as Syrian, Duwaji married Mayor Zohran Mamdani in 2025. Recent scrutiny intensified following revelations that she “liked” several posts critical of Israel in the immediate aftermath of the October 7th attack. These actions have sparked widespread concern and demands for answers.
Among the posts she reportedly engaged with were images livestreamed by participants in the October 7th Hamas attack, an event that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, including many innocent children. She also allegedly expressed skepticism towards a New York Times investigation into sexual violence perpetrated during the attack, dismissing it as “fabricated.”
The surfacing of these past online activities has ignited a firestorm of controversy, forcing a reevaluation of the First Lady’s public image and raising difficult questions about her views on terrorism, conflict, and international relations.
