Politics
Mamdani to Attend 9/11 Memorial Despite Giuliani's Objections Over His Muslim Faith
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will attend Friday's September 11 memorial ceremony, setting up a potential encounter with former mayor Rudy Giuliani, who recently criticized Mamdani's Muslim faith and suggested he stay away from the event.
During a weekend interview with Newsmax, Giuliani, who led New York City during the 2001 terrorist attacks, said Mamdani's planned attendance was offensive to him personally. "Having lost friends there and being very close to many of the families, it offends me that he's coming," Giuliani said, adding when asked directly that Mamdani should skip the ceremony: "Well, there's no question he should."
Mamdani confirmed his attendance on Monday while at a breakfast event celebrating Brooklyn's J'ouvert and West Indian Day Parade festivities. He said he plans to attend multiple 9/11-related events on Friday, just as he did last year before assuming office, to support victims' families and first responders.
"I'm proud to be the mayor of this city. I love this city. I love this country," Mamdani said. "What I want this week to be a focus on is on the families whose loved ones were stolen from them 25 years ago in the horrific act of terror of September 11, and a focus also on the first responders who did everything they could."
Mamdani's office has not responded directly to Giuliani's comments. Giuliani, who served as mayor from 1994 to 2001 and later became a close ally and attorney for Donald Trump, said he also plans to attend Friday's ceremony marking the al-Qaida attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center's twin towers.
The former World Trade Center site, now known as Ground Zero, features memorial reflecting pools and a museum. Each year, survivors and relatives read the names of those killed during a solemn ceremony attended by national and local officials.
During his Newsmax appearance, Giuliani made a series of controversial remarks, appearing to draw connections between Mamdani's Islamic faith and the 9/11 hijackers, who acted under orders from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Giuliani claimed the terrorists carried out their attack