9/11 Victims' Families Petition to Exclude Mayor Mamdani from Anniversary Ceremony
Families of September 11 victims have launched a petition urging the memorial’s organizers to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from the 25th-anniversary ceremony, citing his past statements and associations they view as hostile.
A group of families who lost loved ones on September 11 have filed a Change.org petition demanding that the National September 11 Memorial & Museum exclude New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from the 25th-anniversary commemoration. The petition condemns Mamdani’s alleged failure to unequivocally repudiate the anti-Jewish chant “globalize the intifada” and points to his past interactions with a Bed-Stuy imam who once hosted the 1993 World Trade Center bombing’s mastermind.
It also highlights criticism of his father, professor Mahmood Mamdani, whose 2025 book suggested a moral equivalence between the United States and Al Qaeda, a passage that drew comment from billionaire Bill Ackman. Despite the families’ concerns, Mamdani told reporters he plans to attend and honor the victims. Event organizers have emphasized a non-partisan approach, noting that past dignitaries from both parties have participated. The petition reflects heightened political tension as the mayor prepares for his first 9/11 ceremony in office.
Why it matters
The dispute shows how political affiliations can clash with public mourning, potentially affecting how national tragedies are commemorated.
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