Mamdani’s wife Rama Duwaji co-hosting pricey pro-Palestine retreat in Corsica

• New York City First Lady Rama Duwaji is co-hosting a women-only spiritual retreat in Corsica centered on Mary, described by organizers as a “Palestinian woman giving birth under occupation.”
• The event comes amid criticism over Duwaji’s past activism related to ‘Israel’ and Palestinian issues.

New York City First Lady Rama Duwaji is co-hosting a women-only spiritual retreat in Corsica focused on the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, with organizers linking the religious figure to Palestinian identity and describing her as “a Palestinian woman giving birth under occupation.”

The sold-out retreat, organized by The Women Sanctuary, begins July 9 and will bring participants to a 15th-century monastery in Corsica for prayers, lectures, discussions, and spiritual activities focused on Palestinian women.

According to the organizers, the event will “honor the legacy of Mary, the most honored woman in the Qur’an,” with prayers dedicated to “our sisters in Palestine.”

The retreat, which costs between $3,100 and $5,260 depending on accommodation, includes daily prayers, lectures, and meals. A previous retreat by the group in Corsica featured discussions about Palestinian women and the situation in Gaza.

Duwaji’s participation comes after she skipped US July 4 celebrations to attend another Women Sanctuary event in Spain.

She has previously faced criticism over her social media activity and public activism related to ‘Israel’ and Palestine, including posts following the October 7 Hamas attack.

The event has also sparked debate among some scholars over connecting Mary’s historical and religious story to modern political issues.

“It’s historically complicated,” Rachel Fulton Brown, a history professor at the University of Chicago, said, warning against treating ancient events and modern conflicts as identical.