As 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Looms, Families of Victims Want ‘Unwelcome Guest’ Mamdani Banned from Ground Zero Ceremony

As the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that murdered nearly 3,000 people looms, families of some of the victims want radical Muslim NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the Ground Zero ceremony, calling him ‘an apologist for Islamic terror’ and adding it would be an insult to the memories of those who died.

Giovanni Galante’s 29-year-old wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was among those murdered by al-Qaeda terrorists.

Galante’s petition drive to bar Mamdani from events has already received 1350 signatures from at least 300 victims’ families.

The petition notes,“This anniversary is one of remembrance grounded in shared American values: respect for the victims, recognition of the gravity of the attacks, and a clear rejection of the ideologies that contributed to such violence.”

“For many families and community members, participation in these ceremonies carries an implicit expectation that those present uphold and affirm these principles without ambiguity.”

The petition then shared concerns about Mamdani’s inclusion in the events due to his “public positions, associations, and responses to rhetoric that many perceive as hostile to these shared values.”

These include:

• A perceived reluctance to clearly and unequivocally condemn phrases such as “globalize the intifada,” which many interpret as endorsing or normalizing violence.
• Support for, or associations with, individuals whose public statements or records are viewed by concerned family members as dismissive of American institutions or insufficiently critical of extremist ideologies.
• 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.” He also argued that there was a moral equivalence between the United States and al-Qaeda.
• Mr. Mamdani has praised Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been linked to radical Islam, 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.
• Mr. Mamdani has blamed the United States for radicalizing Anwar al-Awlaki, an al-Qaeda propagandist linked to the 9/11 hijackers. Critics have likened this to blaming victims rather than perpetrators.
• Mr. 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.
• Mr. Mamdani has endorsed candidates such as Aber Kawas, who described 9/11 as an attack “a couple of people did in the context of U.S. 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.
• Mr. Mamdani recently stood with DSA primary winner Darializa Aria Chevalier, who once tweeted, “I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me.”

The petition concludes, “For 9/11 families, this is not simply a public ceremony—it is a deeply personal day of mourning. 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 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.”

“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.”

For those interested, you can sign the petition here.

As Mayor-elect, Mamdani announced the appointment of Ramzi Kassem as the city’s top attorney.

Kassem gained notoriety for defending al-Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Darbi when he served as lead counsel.

In 2014, al-Darbi pled guilty in connection with an al-Qaeda terrorist plot to bomb a French oil tanker near Yemen in 2002, leaving a civilian dead and several others injured. He was convicted in 2017 and ultimately transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2018.

Al-Darbi’s brother-in-law was Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the five hijackers on American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon during the September 11, 2001 attacks.

During his campaign, he peddled a dubious story during remarks in front of an Islamic center in the Bronx and claimed his hijab-wearing aunt was on the receiving end of Islamophobic abuse after the 9/11 terror attacks.

“I want to speak to the memory of my aunt, who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab,” Mamdani said, fighting through fake tears as he delivered remarks in front of the Islamic Cultural Center in the Bronx last Friday.

It turns out Mamdani’s aunt didn’t even live in the US on 9/11 – and she doesn’t even wear a hijab.

He then changed the ‘victim’ in the story to be a mysterious ‘distant cousin.’