The families of those lost in the 9/11 tragedy are calling for the exclusion of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani from the upcoming 25th anniversary ceremonies at Ground Zero. They have accused him of being an apologist for Islamic terrorism, asserting that his attendance would dishonor the memory of the nearly 3,000 victims who perished.
“Our opposition stems from his public record and his failure to adequately acknowledge the day’s horrors,” said Giovanni Galante, who lost his 29-year-old wife, Grace Catherine Galante, to al-Qaeda’s attacks. “He has been associated with, supported, or employed those who have minimized 9/11, defended terrorists, or even suggested that America deserved these attacks.”
In response, Galante, now 55, has helped lead a petition drive that has gathered more than 1,100 signatures within just over a week. Among these signatories are at least 300 relatives of the victims.
“This day holds profound significance for us,” expressed Galante, a Brooklyn-born real estate agent who resides in Florida.
“The commemoration is sacred, not a forum for political expressions, especially from those linked to such controversial viewpoints. His attendance would be deeply distressing and wholly inappropriate, akin to an uninvited guest at a deeply personal gathering.”
Galante and other petition organizers hope to gather enough signatures to convince local lawmakers and the ceremony’s organizers, the nonprofit 9/11 Memorial & Museum, to keep Mamdani away from the silver-anniversary ceremony planned for the former Twin Towers site in Lower Manhattan.
The petition posted on Change.org cites an array of concerns about Mamdani, who is the city’s first Muslim mayor and has promoted his religion since taking office in January. They include:
- Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the “globalize the intifada” rallying cry for violence against Jewish people.
- Mamdani defending al-Qaeda fiend Anwar al-Awlaki — and blaming America for turning the prostitution-loving cleric into a terrorist, according to some of his 2015 social media posts that resurfaced last year. Al-Awlaki became a prominent imam at mosques in San Diego and Virginia, eventually interacting with three of the heinous 9/11 hijackers there, U.S. officials have said.
“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 petition says.
“The 25th anniversary should remain centered on remembrance, unity, and an unambiguous rejection of the violence and extremism that defined that day.”
Organizer Cheri Sparacio, whose 35-year-old husband Thomas was killed on 9/11, quipped there are “so many other examples” why it would be “disrespectful” for Mamdani to attend the ceremony that “we couldn’t fit them on the list.”
They include Mamdani’s longtime association with vile left-wing influencer Hasan Piker, who once said “America deserved” the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, and Mamdani’s outlandish claim that he and other fellow Muslims were also victims of 9/11 because it supposedly triggered a horrible wave of “Islamophobia,” added Sparacio, of Staten Island.
Monica Iken-Murphy, whose 37-year-old husband Michael Iken was killed on 9/11 and was a leading advocate in the creation of 9/11 Memorial & Museum, said she signed the petition but insisted it’s not about Mamdani’s politics.
Only politicians involved in the healing “process from the start” — such as ex-NYC Mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani, former U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and longtime 9/11 family advocate and City Council Speaker Julie Menin — should join 9/11 family members in attending “this pivotal 25th anniversary ceremony,” she said.
“I don’t want families to feel uncomfortable,” said Iken-Murphy, also a founding trustee on the 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s board. “Others can come a different day, but let the families have their time.”
When asked about the petition drive, Julie Wood, a spokesperson for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, said the nonprofit has “intentionally worked to keep the commemoration free of politics because remembering those we lost on 9/11 should never be a partisan issue.”
“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,” Wood said.
The mayor’s office did not return messages.
Galante and other organizers said they plan to contact the NYC Council for help in their ban-Mamdani crusade.
Menin did not return a message seeking comment, but Queens Councilwoman Joann Ariola told The Post she’s ready to assist.
“This is a mayor who has endorsed candidates and has been endorsed by individuals who openly said that ‘America deserved 9/11,’ so I completely understand why families of those who lost loved ones would not want him there,” she said.