9/11 Pen Controversy: NYC Mayor Hands Ceremonial Pen to Lawyer Who Defended Al-Qaeda Terrorist

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing fierce backlash after signing executive orders ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks — and then handing the ceremonial pen to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented a convicted al-Qaeda operative linked to one of the 9/11 hijackers . The gesture has sparked outrage among victims' families, with more than 101,000 signing a petition urging the mayor to stay away from Friday's memorial ceremony .

NEW YORK – A ceremonial moment meant to honor the victims of 9/11 has instead ignited a political firestorm. On Friday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed executive orders establishing September 11 as a "Citywide Day of Remembrance and Service" and strengthening the city's efforts to prevent future terrorist threats .

But the controversy erupted when Mamdani handed the signing pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and asked her to pass it to his chief legal counsel, Ramzi Kassem . Kassem, a lawyer who founded a CUNY legal clinic offering free representation to Muslims, previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, a Guantánamo Bay detainee who pleaded guilty to war-crime charges tied to al-Qaeda plots against commercial ships .

The connection to 9/11 is particularly raw: al-Darbi's sister was married to Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, killing 184 people .

'A Slap in the Face' — Families and Lawmakers React

The handoff has drawn sharp condemnation from 9/11 families, first responders, and elected officials who see the gesture as a profound insult to the memory of those lost.

"It was calculated," retired detective Michael Alcazar told the New York Post. "It happened during a ceremony meant to be about the victims, and no one else. 9/11 families didn't come to City Hall to watch Mamdani spotlight someone whose work intersects with the very ideology that took their loved ones" .

Council Member Joann Ariola (R-Queens) called the stunt "breathtakingly tone-deaf and disrespectful," adding: "The families who lost loved ones on 9/11 have every right to be outraged. On the 25th anniversary, City Hall should be honoring their sacrifice with dignity, not forcing those families to endure yet another insult" .

Dennis Warchola, whose brother Michael — a firefighter with Ladder 5 — was killed in the North Tower, was blunt: "It's bulls–t. How can you defend a guy like that who wants to do Americans or any innocent person harm?" .

'It's Not About His Religion — It's About His Policies'

The controversy surrounding the pen handoff is part of a broader backlash against Mamdani ahead of the 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero. A petition organized by Giovanni Galante — whose wife Grace was killed in the attacks — has gathered more than 101,000 signatures demanding the mayor stay away from Friday's commemoration .

At a City Hall press conference on Tuesday, grieving relatives delivered the petition directly to Mamdani's office .

"It's not about his religion or where he came from. It's about the policies he has today," said Cheri Sparacio, who lost her husband Tom on the 84th floor of the South Tower . "It is today that he hires people like Ramzi Kassem… That is what we object to" .

Monica Iken, whose husband Michael was killed on the 84th floor of the South Tower, urged the mayor to respect the families' wishes: "He didn't go to the 20th… so I don't know why he's so adamant about going to this one when we just ask that he just respect us from 7 to 11 and let us have our mourning" .

Charles Wolf, who lost his wife Katherine, added: "This mayor is not serving us. He's serving himself. We are asking respectfully that he not show up" .

Mamdani's Defense: 'I Love This Country'

City Hall has defended Kassem's presence at the ceremony, noting that he and his team drafted both executive orders as part of his duties as chief counsel .

Despite the growing criticism, Mamdani has remained firm in his decision to attend Friday's ceremony. "I'm proud to be the mayor of this city. I love this city. I love this country," Mamdani told reporters . "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 11th" .

He will become the first Muslim mayor to attend the city's official 9/11 remembrance ceremony .

A City Divided

The controversy has exposed deep divisions within the 9/11 community. While many families have signed the petition urging Mamdani to stay away, others have called for unity . Elizabeth Miller, whose father died in the attacks, said: "Mayor Mamdani has assured 9/11 families that he wants to be there to honor our loved ones, and I think he should be allowed to do that" .

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Governor George Pataki have also called on Mamdani to skip the ceremony .

The Bottom Line

Friday's ceremony at Ground Zero — already expected to be an emotionally charged day of remembrance — will now unfold with a sitting mayor at the center of a deeply divisive controversy, testing how a city scarred by the worst terror attack in U.S. history chooses to mourn, and whom it allows to stand alongside its grieving families.