{"id":361548,"date":"2026-10-01T05:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T05:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/361548\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T05:00:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T05:00:09","slug":"organizers-of-islamic-wellness-retreat-attended-by-nyc-first-lady-rama-duwaji-called-for-destruction-of-israel-in-hateful-social-media-posts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/361548\/","title":{"rendered":"Organizers of Islamic wellness retreat attended by NYC first lady Rama Duwaji called for destruction of Israel in hateful social media posts"},"content":{"rendered":"

The group behind the posh, Islamic-centered women\u2019s retreat where New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s wife Rama Duwaji<\/a> served as an \u201cartist-in-residence\u201d called for the destruction of Israel and for \u201cPalestine\u201d to be cleansed of its \u201coppressors\u201d in a series of hateful social media posts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe apartheid colonial state of Israel has committed a genocide against the Palestinian people,\u201d read an October 2025 Instagram post<\/a> from the Women Sanctuary, the organization hosting the \u201cJourney through Islamic Calligraphy\u201d retreat being attended by Duwaji in Porto, Portugal.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbolish the colonial apartheid state of Israel. Free Palestine,\u201d the post, first reported by the Washington Free Beacon<\/a>, continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Duwaji, a Syrian-American animator, illustrator and ceramist, attended a Women Sanctuary retreat over the summer. Credit: Instagram<\/p>\n

In a lengthy May 2024 post<\/a>, the Women Sanctuary hoped for freedom to \u201cilluminate the blessed lands of Palestine, from the river to the sea.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The slogan \u201cfrom the river to the sea\u201d is considered antisemitic by many. Critics say the motto, which refers to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, is a call for the eradication of Israel and its people.<\/p>\n

In September 2024<\/a>, the group shared a prayer to \u201cAllah\u201d pleading for the \u201cliberation of Palestine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCleanse Palestine from tyranny and from its oppressors,\u201d the post stated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another eyebrow-raising Instagram from March 2025<\/a> read: \u201cMay the winds of freedom sweep across Palestine, ushering in the complete and rightful restoration of the land\u2019s true stewards.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Women Sanctuary has called for the abolition of Israel in social media posts. Credit: Instagram<\/p>\n

Duwaji, 29, ran the Women Sanctuary retreat\u2019s \u201cmarvelous illustration workshop\u201d during a summer session earlier this year. <\/p>\n

Guests paid $4,300 for a shared room to $5,260 for a private room with a private bathroom in the manor house nestled in the tranquil countryside of Arcos de Valdevez.<\/p>\n

Duwaji herself has a history of posting anti-US and anti-Israel rhetoric on social media. Credit: Instagram<\/p>\n

In July, Gotham\u2019s controversial first lady made headlines for skipping<\/a> America\u2019s 250th birthday celebration to attend a different Women Sanctuary retreat on the Spanish resort island of Mallorca.<\/p>\n

The news of Duwaji\u2019s partnership with the alleged hateful group comes as her husband announced a plan to combat antisemitism<\/a> \u2014 which completely ignored Zionism \u2014 in the Big Apple on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

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