Relatives of September 11 victims are lobbying event organizers and city officials to prevent New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending the upcoming 25th anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero, characterizing his presence as an affront to those who perished, reports The New York Post.
The effort, centered around an online petition, has accumulated over 1,100 signatures in just over a week, including endorsements from at least 300 family members of terrorism victims.
Organizers are directing their appeal to local legislators and the leadership of the non-profit 9/11 Memorial & Museum, which oversees the annual observance in Lower Manhattan.
The online petition outlines several specific grievances concerning Mayor Mamdani, who assumed office in January as the city's first Muslim mayor:
* His declining to denounce the phrase "globalize the intifada."
* His campaign appearance alongside Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj - an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing who previously advocated for gun-free jihad.
* His selection of Ramzi Kassem as chief counsel for the city; Kassem has legally represented Al-Qaeda convict Ahmed al-Darbi and radical organizer Mahmoud Khalil.
* His endorsement of state Senate candidate Aber Kawas, who once referred to 9/11 as an event that “a couple of people did" and expressed support for convicted plot suspect Ahmed Ferhani.
* His political backing of congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, who previously called the United States “a f-ing disgrace" and described using an American flag as a napkin.
* Resurfaced 2015 social media posts in which Mamdani defended Al-Qaeda figure Anwar al-Awlaki, assigning fault to American policy for al-Awlaki's radicalization.
* Public statements by the mayor's father, Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, offering sympathetic views toward suicide bombers.
The petition states, “Given these concerns, we respectfully ask that the organizers carefully consider whether Mr. Mamdani’s participation would align with the intention of the ceremony and the expectations of the families most directly affected by the tragedy."
It adds, “The 25th anniversary should remain centered on remembrance, unity, and an unambiguous rejection of the violence and extremism that defined that day."
Giovanni Galante, a 55-year-old real estate agent originally from Brooklyn now residing in Florida, whose 29-year-old wife Grace Catherine Galante died during the attacks, is among the initiative's core organizers.
“Our objection is based on his public record - his failure to meaningfully acknowledge the horror of that day, and his employment of, support for, or association with individuals who have minimized 9/11, defended terrorists, or even suggested America ‘deserved’ the attacks," Galante said.
“This day is sacred to us," he added. “It is not political, and it is not a platform for those connected to such views. His presence would be deeply hurtful and inappropriate - like an unwelcome guest at a deeply personal ceremony."
Staten Island resident Cheri Sparacio, whose 35-year-old husband Thomas died in the attacks, noted there were “so many other examples" showing why Mamdani's attendance would be “disrespectful" that organizers could not include them all in the formal filing.
She specifically highlighted the mayor's ties to online commentator Hasan Piker - who previously claimed America deserved the September 11 attacks - and Mamdani's past remarks describing fellow Muslims as victims of 9/11 due to subsequent “Islamophobia".
In response to the campaign, 9/11 Memorial & Museum spokesperson Julie Wood stated that the organization has “intentionally worked to keep the commemoration free of politics because remembering those we lost on 9/11 should never be a partisan issue."
“Government officials from across the political spectrum, including every sitting president, governor, and mayor since 9/11, have attended the ceremony simply to bear witness - they do not deliver remarks and are asked to remain in a designated area," Wood explained.
Mayor Mamdani's office confirmed he intends to be present at the observance regardless of the pushback. Spokesperson Jeremy Edwards said in a statement quoted by The New York Post, “Mayor Mamdani will proudly honor the families, survivors and first responders forever impacted by these devastating attacks by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 Commemoration, reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day felt by all of us who call this city home."
Judea Pearl, father of journalist Daniel Pearl who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan by terrorists in 2002, also publicly endorsed the exclusion effort via social media, writing, "My late son, Daniel, is not a direct victim of 9/11, yet he was murdered by Khalid Sheik Mohammad (KSM), the 9/11 architect. I wish I could join the petition to bar Mayor Mamdani from the memorial -- his anti-American ideology differs little from that of KSM's."