In the weeks leading up to the 25th Anniversary of the tragedy of 9\/11, over 87,000 petitioners have called for for the Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be barred from the ceremony.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor 9\/11 families, this is not simply a public ceremony\u2014it is a deeply personal day of mourning,\u201d the petition wrote<\/a>. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The petition, started July 9 by 9\/11 family member Giovanni Galante, calls on the organizers to reconsider Mamdani\u2019s participation at the 25th Anniversary Ceremony at the 9\/11 Memorial. As outlined in the petition, the primary concerns of the petitioners include Mamdani\u2019s responses to rhetoric perceived as \u201chostile\u201d to \u201cshared 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Mamdani, a popular Muslim democratic socialist, was further criticized for his associations to figures such as Brooklyn\u2019s Imam Siraj Wahhaj and political figures\/candidates Aber Kawas, Ramzi Kassem, and Darializa Aria Chevalier\u2014all of whom the petition accuse of connections to the 9\/11 terrorist attack itself, other terrorist attacks, or extremist \u2018anti-American\u2019 rhetoric.<\/p>\n \u201cI will proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them at this year\u2019s 9\/11 commemoration, reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day felt by all of us who call this city home, and frankly by all of us who call this country home,\u201d Mamdani said at a non-related press conference July 27.<\/p>\n Strong advocacy erupted over the petition on both sides. Supporters of the petition, including former spokesman for First Lady Jill Biden Michael LaRosa, claimed Mamdani\u2019s widespread platform in the public eye would divert attention from the day\u2019s purpose, while others alleged Mamdani of having affiliations with Islamic extremism. Comparatively, Mamdani supporters decried the petition as Islamophobic and racist.<\/p>\n