9/11 Families Petition to Exclude NYC Mayor from 25th Anniversary Memorial

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ground Zero NYC, The 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks is a sacred day of remembrance. It is dedicated to the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans murdered by Islamic terrorists, the first responders who ran toward danger, the military men and women who answered the call in the wars that followed, and the families whose lives were forever altered. It belongs to them—not to politicians whose public records demonstrate repeated sympathy for individuals tied to radical causes.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s announcement that he intends to stand alongside families at the official Ground Zero commemoration has sparked intense backlash. A rapidly growing petition organized by 9/11 survivors, bereaved families, retired police officers, and firefighters calls on event organizers to bar the mayor from attending. Their objection is not rooted in political partisanship or religious prejudice; it reflects a deep conviction that a solemn memorial is incompatible with an official whose past actions and rhetoric display indifference to the tragedy.

A Pattern of Controversial Associations

Critics point out that the objection to Mayor Mamdani’s presence goes far beyond a single political stance. Instead, it stems from a documented history of associations and public commentary:

• Praise for the “Holy Land Five”: In his 2017 song Salaam, recorded under a former stage name, Mamdani declared, “My love to the Holy Land Five. You better look ’em up.” The Holy Land Five were senior officials of a foundation convicted in federal court of providing material support to Hamas.

• Embracing Controversial Figures: Mamdani publicly celebrated and posted photos with Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who was named by federal prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

• Shifted Focus on 9/11: When reflecting publicly on the aftermath of September 11, Mamdani’s most prominent personal account centered on the social discomfort experienced by an extended family member wearing a hijab—rather than focusing on the thousands of lives lost or the sacrifice of first responders.

Why Victims’ Families Are Speaking Out

For the families who lost spouses, parents, children, and friends on September 11, 2001, the annual ceremony is a painful, sacred ritual. Many argue that a public official who has routinely expressed sympathy for radical causes or criticized American counterterrorism measures should not occupy a position of honor at Ground Zero.

While City Hall maintains that the mayor will attend simply to bear witness and honor the city as a whole, organizers of the petition stress that September 11 demands total moral clarity. If Mayor Mamdani wishes to truly honor the memory of that day, critics argue he should start by acknowledging the pain caused by his past actions—and choose to step aside from this year’s anniversary.

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