Rama Duwaji is heading back to Europe next month for her third luxury retreat this year.
The 29-year-old wife of Mayor Zohran Mamdani will serve again as “artist-in-residence” for The Women Sanctuary’s “Journey through Islamic Calligraphy” program in Porto, Portugal, with sessions running Sept. 16-21 and Sept. 25-30, according to the group’s website. The Syrian-American animator, illustrator and ceramist has already led two previous retreats for the organization this summer.
The Portugal gathering will unfold at a manor house in Arcos de Valdevez, where attendees paying between $4,300 and $5,260 can enjoy heated outdoor and indoor pools, landscaped gardens, and what the website describes as “a truly restorative environment.” The itinerary blends structured activities with leisure time.
“Some days, we will explore the rich history of Islam in Portugal, uncovering the traces of a remarkable legacy still woven into the landscape. On others, we will gather for a marvelous illustration workshop with our artist-in-residence, Rama Duwaji, celebrating this heritage,” the retreat’s website states.
Other afternoons are reserved for picnics, poolside hangouts, walks and chats. The Women Sanctuary frames these downtime hours as integral to the experience.
“We believe these unhurried moments are just as much a part of the retreat as the program itself; a space for suhbah, spiritual reflection, and presence, where hearts can soften, souls can be nourished, and remembrance can arise naturally amidst the beauty of creation,” the organization wrote on its site.
Duwaji’s repeated European travel has drawn sharp criticism from local officials. Queens City Councilwoman Joann Ariola contrasted her schedule with that of past first ladies.
“Former first ladies spent their time visiting schools and doing charitable work,” Ariola told The Post. “Being Zohran Mamdani’s wife must be very stressful because this first lady is more interested in vacations than she is in matters that affect New Yorkers.”
Former Queens City Councilman Bob Holden piled on with sharper political attack.
“They’re acting like jet-setters when they’re supposed to be for New Yorkers but they’re anything but. She’s a good example of the hypocrisy of this administration,” Holden said.
The mayor has previously defended his wife against public scrutiny, arguing that she deserves protection from criticism because she holds no official administration post.
Duwaji’s summer retreat schedule began with a July trip to Mallorca, Spain, where she skipped America’s 250th birthday celebrations for an Islamic “spiritual wellness” gathering with the same organization. She followed that with a second Women Sanctuary retreat from July 9-14 in Corsica, France, themed around “the legacy of Mary, the most honored woman in the Quran.”
Beyond her retreat work, Duwaji has attracted attention for past social media posts attacking U.S. Foreign policy and Israel. In a 2015 Tumblr post, she wrote: “American soldiers fighting in imperialist wars are not brave nor are they fighting for anyone’s freedom. They are mercilessly slaughtering 3rd world civilians and fighting to maintain American hegemony.”
Looking ahead, Duwaji is scheduled to travel to Lebanon and Syria in September to visit relatives. Both nations carry the State Department’s highest “Do Not Travel” warning for American citizens. City Hall initially indicated she would receive an NYPD security detail for that trip, but the department later refuted that claim, and Mamdani attributed the misinformation to his own staff.
The Porto retreat applications remain open through The Women Sanctuary’s website.