OAN Staff Lillian Mann
4:40 PM – Sunday, July 5, 2026
Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has drawn significant backlash for reportedly traveling to Mallorca, Spain, for an Islamic ‘spiritual wellness’ retreat, instead of attending local civic events in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, according to the New York Post.
On Monday, the Dallas-raised Syrian-American artist — who has an extensive history of bashing the U.S. online — was spotted catching a plane to the Spanish island of Mallorca at Newark International Airport, the New York Post reported.
The sold-out retreat, called “Plants Of The Quran” run by the for-profit Women’s Sanctuary, focuses on Islamic texts, art, botanical workshops and spiritual reflection, according to the group’s website.
The 29-year-old illustrator and ceramist is reportedly the “artist in residence” for the retreat which costs $3,400 U.S. dollars per guest.
When the first lady of America’s largest city was spotted looking aloof near a United Airlines gate on Saturday, critics—including conservative commentator and comedian Arynne Wexler—posted photos of Duwaji on X as she waited to board her flight.
“Funny how when [Zohran Mamdani] was telling New Yorkers to lower their AC his wife Rama Duwaji was boarding a flight to party in Mallorca. Reminder that I can’t tag her because she deleted her account after her insanely offensive tweets were discovered. Champagne socialists,” Wexler’s post read.
“Nothing says ‘America 250’ quite like skipping the celebration for a Mediterranean vacation, but I am not surprised because she has made her hatred for America very evident,” said Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-N.Y.)
“It’s disappointing that the First Lady chose to be overseas instead of taking part in one of the biggest civic events our city and country will mark this year,” said Councilman Frank Morano (R-N.Y.)
“No one is saying elected officials and their families can’t take vacations, but this was a moment to show up for the city and for the country, and she missed it.”
Although Duwaji has since apologized, her recently unearthed and now-deleted social media posts allegedly included racist and homophobic remarks, as well as praise for Palestinian militant groups attacking U.S. service members in Israel.
Duwaji’s trip follows Mamdani facing significant criticism after he asked New Yorkers to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees amid the massive heart wave across the East Coast, when parts of City Hall maintained temperatures as low as 54 degrees, according to the New York Post.
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