Family members of those murdered on 9/11 have launched a petition calling for NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be excluded from the 25th-year memorial events on account of his association with extremism and refusal to condemn antisemitism.
The petition was launched by Florida relator Giovanni Galante, whose girlfriend was among those killed by Al Qaeda terrorists on 11 September 2001. It has now gathered over 5000 signatures.
The petition says that concerns have been raised about Mamdani’s public positions, associations, and responses to rhetoric that many perceive as hostile to shared American values.
These positions include a perceived reluctance to “clearly and unequivocally condemn phrases such as ‘globalize the intifada,’ which many interpret as endorsing or normalizing violence,” the petition reads.
It also cited Mamdani’s support for, or associations with, individuals whose public statements or records are viewed by family members as dismissive of American institutions or insufficiently critical of extremist ideologies.
Key arguments against Mamdani’s participation
The petition notes that Mamdani’s own father 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.” Mamdani has previously said that his father has been influential in shaping his views.
Mamdani has also praised Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who was named as an alleged co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and served as a character witness for the “Blind Sheikh,” who was convicted in 1995 of plotting terror attacks against the United States.
More recently, Mamdani appointed Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi (convicted in an al-Qaeda tanker bombing plot), as New York City’s chief counsel.
The NYC mayor also endorsed candidates such as Aber Kawas, who described 9/11 as an attack “a couple of people did in the context of US capitalism, racism, white supremacy, and Islamophobia,” and who also expressed sympathy for Ahmed Ferhani, who pleaded guilty to plotting to blow up a Manhattan synagogue.
“For 9/11 families, this is not simply a public ceremony, it is a deeply personal day of mourning,” wrote Galante. “The presence of individuals whose words or associations are perceived as conflicting with the solemn purpose of the event risks detracting from that focus and causing additional pain.”
Given the concerns expressed, the families in the petition respectfully asked the organizers to “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.”
“The 25th anniversary should remain centered on remembrance, unity, and an unambiguous rejection of the violence and extremism that defined that day. Ensuring that all participants reflect these principles is essential to preserving the integrity of the commemoration.”
Survivors speak on the petition
Several 9/11 survivors have commented on the petition.
“As a survivor of the WTC attack on 9/11 I believe that based on Mayor Mamdani’s past performance in regard to Israel and radical Islamic terrorism that he should be barred from all WTC memorial ceremonies,” wrote Craig.
Silverio wrote, “Many tears had shed on that day, but why was Mayor Mamdani’s own reason he cried? [Because] his aunt stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab.”
“Seeing 9/11 Live on the news while at my first Active Duty Duty Station, and subsequently deploying ISO OER in Afghanistan during rotation one, it is an affront to the memory of all who perished that day and in the following days while hunting the vile Islamic perpetrators that anyone who has voiced support for those despicable death cultists would be given a voice of any kind at that event,” wrote Justin. “Shame on all who would put the relatives of those fallen in a position wherein they have to tell anyone they do not want these individuals at that ceremony.”
Brian wrote that his brother David was murdered on 9/11 and that he is “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 be barred.”
The Post reached out to Galante for comment.
