BS BRIEF:

• A group of relatives of September 11 victims has launched a petition urging organizers to keep New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending this year’s 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero, calling him an “unwelcome guest.” The petition cites his public statements and political associations as the basis for their objections.
• Organizers say the petition has drawn support from hundreds of victims’ family members, while the 9/11 Memorial & Museum says the annual commemoration is intentionally kept free of politics and traditionally includes elected officials from across the political spectrum. Mamdani’s office says he still plans to attend.

9/11 FAMILIES ASK THAT MAMDANI STAY AWAY FROM GROUND ZERO’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY CEREMONY

As New York prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a growing group of victims’ relatives is asking organizers to keep one of the city’s highest-profile elected officials away from Ground Zero.

A petition launched by family members of those killed on September 11 urges organizers of the annual memorial ceremony to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending, arguing that his record and political associations make his presence inappropriate on what they describe as sacred ground.

One of the petition’s organizers, Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace Catherine Galante was killed in the attacks, said the objection is rooted in Mamdani’s public record.

“Our objection is based on his public record — his failure to meaningfully acknowledge the horror of that day, and his employment of, support for, or association with individuals who have minimized 9/11, defended terrorists, or even suggested America ‘deserved’ the attacks.”

Another organizer, Cheri Sparacio, whose husband Thomas died in the attacks, said there were so many concerns that not all could fit into the petition itself.

“There are so many other examples” of why his attendance would be “disrespectful.”

The petition points to several issues, including Mamdani’s past defense of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” his political associations, and appointments within his administration that critics argue are inconsistent with honoring victims of Islamist terrorism. Petition organizers contend those concerns make his attendance at the ceremony deeply offensive to many families.

The nonprofit National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which oversees the annual commemoration, said the ceremony has always been designed to remain above partisan politics. Spokeswoman Julie Wood emphasized that elected officials from both parties have attended every year since the attacks.

“Government officials from across the political spectrum, including every sitting president, governor, and mayor since 9/11, have attended the ceremony simply to bear witness—they do not deliver remarks and are asked to remain in a designated area.”

Mamdani’s office also made clear that the mayor intends to attend despite the objections. A spokesperson said:

“Mayor Mamdani will proudly honor the families, survivors and first responders forever impacted by these devastating attacks by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 Commemoration, reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day felt by all of us who call this city home.”

The petition organizers say they plan to continue lobbying city officials in the weeks leading up to the September ceremony.

The controversy comes as scrutiny of Mamdani’s positions on Israel, terrorism and public rhetoric has intensified since taking office. Critics have repeatedly pointed to comments involving the phrase “globalize the intifada,” while Mamdani has said he condemns the September 11 attacks and has defended his record as opposing antisemitism and political violence.

The debate has become another flashpoint in New York’s increasingly polarized political climate, particularly as the city approaches one of the most significant milestones since the attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

MY TAKE:

There are moments in American life that simply don’t belong to politicians.

September 11 is one of them.

Ground Zero isn’t a campaign stop. It isn’t a backdrop for social media posts. It isn’t another opportunity for elected officials to remind everyone they’re in office. That day belongs first and foremost to the families who lost husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends.

If those families are telling us they’re hurting… we ought to at least listen.

Now, the organizers of the memorial have a long-standing policy of inviting public officials regardless of party. That’s their decision, and they’ve explained why.

But the petition itself tells another story.

Whether one agrees with every criticism of Mayor Mamdani or not, these families are expressing something that deserves respect: they believe the anniversary should be about remembrance, not renewed political controversy.

Twenty-five years later, the wounds of September 11 haven’t disappeared.

For the families, they never will.

DBS WIRE SOURCES:

• New York Post — Families of 9/11 victims want to ban Mamdani from sacred 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero: ‘Unwelcome guest’
• The Jerusalem Post — Families of 9/11 victims launch petition to bar Zohran Mamdani from 25th anniversary memorial
• Times of Israel — ‘An unwelcome guest’: Some 9/11 victims’ families want Mamdani barred from tribute