Families of victims from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are urging organizers of the 25th anniversary remembrance ceremony in Lower Manhattan to exclude New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. A petition organized by several affected families cites concerns over Mamdani's public positions, associations, and past statements that they perceive as hostile to shared values.
The petition, posted on Change.org, expresses that Mamdani's participation might detract from the solemn purpose of the event and cause additional pain to those most affected by the tragedy. Concerns include a perceived reluctance by Mamdani to unequivocally condemn phrases like "globalize the intifada," which has been associated with calls against Jewish people. The families also pointed to Mamdani's alleged support for or association with individuals seen as dismissive of American institutions or insufficiently critical of extremist ideologies.
One specific concern highlighted is Mamdani's past appearance at the mosque of Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who had previously hosted the spiritual leader of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Critics have also noted controversial statements made by Wahhaj regarding jihad.
Additionally, the petition references comments made by Mamdani's father, Columbia government professor Mahmood Mamdani. In a book published shortly after the 9/11 attacks, the elder Mamdani reportedly argued that suicide bombers should be understood as a feature of modern political violence and suggested a moral equivalency between the United States and Al Qaeda.
Despite these objections, Mayor Mamdani has stated his intention to attend the ceremony. "I will proudly honor families the survivors the first resp forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 commemoration — reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day...," he told reporters at an unrelated press conference.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which organizes the annual event, has stated its intention to keep the commemoration free of politics. "Remembering those we lost on 9/11 should never be a partisan issue," a museum staffer told The New York Post.
The petition comes as Mamdani prepares for his first September 11 commemoration as mayor. Some public figures have recently described the mayor as a "terrorist," according to the report.