The Women Sanctuary, a group that hosted an upscale Islamic-centered wellness retreat in Portugal featuring NYC first lady Rama Duwaji as an “artist-in-residence,” is facing heat over a string of past social media posts. The organization has explicitly called for the end of Israel in multiple messages, including posts from as recently as October 2025 where they labeled the state an "apartheid colonial state" and demanded its abolition.
The Real Tea on the Posts
Throughout 2024 and 2025, the group’s Instagram account shared various messages regarding the conflict. In May 2024, they posted about the hope for freedom "from the river to the sea," a phrase many interpret as a call for the eradication of Israel. Another post from September 2024 prayed for the "liberation of Palestine" and requested that the land be cleansed of its "oppressors."
What This Means for You
Duwaji, 29, led an "illustration workshop" at the group's retreat in Arcos de Valdevez, where participants shelled out between $4,300 and $5,260 for the stay. This latest controversy drops right as her husband, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, unveiled a new initiative to fight antisemitism in NYC—a policy that has already drawn criticism for failing to address Zionism. This is the second time this year Duwaji’s travel choices have made headlines; she previously skipped the U.S. 250th birthday celebrations to attend a separate Women Sanctuary retreat in Mallorca. It’s giving major tension at City Hall.
Why it matters
The connection highlights the intense scrutiny surrounding the public figures of NYC’s leadership and the political rhetoric associated with groups they align themselves with in their private or professional capacities.
