Mayor Zohran Mamdani is standing by his decision to attend the 9/11 25th anniversary ceremony despite objections from Rudy Giuliani and some victims’ families, while other relatives support his presence.
Rudy Giuliani asked New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend Friday’s 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero. Mamdani confirmed that he will participate despite the criticism.
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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is under fire after handing a ceremonial pen from a 9/11 remembrance signing to his chief counsel Ramzi Kassem — who once represented a convicted al Qaeda member whose brother-in-law hijacked the plane that hit the Pentagon. pic.twitter.com/TKGHcWuAq6
— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) September 6, 2026
Giuliani, who served as mayor during the 2001 attacks, told Newsmax that Mamdani’s presence “offends” him and alleged that the current mayor does not recognize 9/11 as an act of Islamic terrorism.
The sources reviewed provide no evidence supporting Giuliani’s claim about Mamdani. The mayor has publicly described the 9/11 attacks as a “horrible act of terror.”
Tensions increased after Mamdani signed two executive orders related to 9/11 and gave the ceremonial pen to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to pass to his chief legal adviser, Ramzi Kassem.
Kassem previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, an al-Qaeda member who faced charges over a 2002 attack on an oil tanker and whose brother-in-law was one of the hijackers aboard the plane that struck the Pentagon.
Days before the anniversary, Mamdani designated September 11 as a Day of Remembrance and Service in New York City through an executive order.
A second executive order updated the city government’s emergency preparedness and continuity plans.
The mayor said he wants the week to focus on the families who lost loved ones and the rescuers who responded to the attacks.
The controversy surrounding Zohran Mamdani demonstrates that 9/11 remains a deeply sensitive subject in New York 25 years after the attacks.
Giuliani’s criticism, opposition from some families, and the controversy involving Ramzi Kassem contrast with the views of those who believe Mamdani should attend as mayor.
On Friday, the ceremony’s official focus will be the victims, their families, and the rescuers who responded to the attacks.
You may be interested in: New York City to Release 170,000 Pages of 9/11 Records
SOURCE: The Hill / NBC News / ABC News
