Families of 9/11 Victims Request Exclusion of Mayor From Anniversary Ceremony
Families of those affected by the September 11 attacks are urging New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who identifies as a Democratic socialist, to be excluded from this year’s 25th anniversary memorial at Ground Zero. The call comes amid a petition highlighting various grievances against Mamdani, who was born in Uganda.
The petition, initiated by Giovanni Galante, a widower from the 9/11 tragedy, requests the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to reconsider inviting Mamdani to the event. Galante specifically raises concerns about the mayor’s hesitance to denounce the slogan “globalize the intifada,” which is linked to calls for violence against Jewish communities.
“We felt that having Mamdani there would show a disrespect to our family members because of the people he supports,” Galante stated in a discussion.
Galante further mentioned that Mamdani’s father, Mahmood Mamdani, had previously justified suicide bombings in his book, “Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror,” published shortly after 9/11.
“Mr. Mamdani’s own father, whom he has acknowledged as having shaped his views, penned a book shortly after 9/11 in which he argued that suicide bombers should be ‘understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism,’” Galante wrote. “He also argued that there was a moral equivalence between the United States and al-Qaeda.”
The online petition, launched earlier in July, has amassed over 53,000 signatures calling for Mamdani’s exclusion from the memorial proceedings.
“Every year, thousands of family members gather at various sites to unite in their grief. It is a solemn occasion—one that members of this unfortunate group, along with millions of others, continue to honor, remember, and use to say: never again,” reads the petition.
“It is in this spirit that we, the family members of those murdered on 9/11, write to express our concern regarding the potential inclusion of Zohran Mamdani in the 25th-year commemorative events.”
The petition further details worries about Mamdani’s connections with public figures known for their anti-American rhetoric or associations with radical movements.
In support of the petition, Dave Portnoy, founder of the sports and pop culture outlet Barstool, held an “emergency press conference” highlighting why many New Yorkers oppose the mayor’s participation in the ceremony. He criticized Mamdani for his relationships and statements regarding past events, particularly those relating to terrorism.
“He campaigned with Hasan Piker who said the US deserved 9/11,” Portnoy remarked, referencing statements made by the left-wing commentator in a 2019 livestream.
“We totally brought it upon ourselves… we did, we f*cking did,” Piker said at the time.
Portnoy also brought attention to Mamdani’s defense of a Boston Marathon bombing suspect just days after the incident, which resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries. His criticisms of Mamdani’s previous behavior seem to echo a broader concern among several groups.
“How the hell did we get here in the first place?” Portnoy questioned.
Actress Patricia Heaton also publicly supported the idea of excluding Mamdani from the memorial. She expressed outrage over what she described as his sympathies for terrorist actions.
“I am incensed that a terrorist excuser is now Mayor, and outspoken sympathizer for terrorist perpetrators. He is disqualified from attending the 9/11 remembrance ceremony and ought to be barred,” Heaton wrote on social media.
“Keep it going New Yorkers,” she encouraged while sharing the petition.
The petition concludes by emphasizing the profound personal significance of the anniversary for families of 9/11 victims. It urges organizers to carefully consider whether Mamdani’s presence aligns with the ceremony’s intentions and the expectations of those most affected by the tragedy.
