Fact Check: Petition Regarding NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the 9/11 Anniversary
Claim:
In July 2026, families of 9/11 victims circulated and signed a petition to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending the 25th-anniversary commemoration ceremony.
Rating: True
Context:
Viral social media posts implied that this petition captured the unanimous perspective of every family who lost a loved one in the 2,976-fatality tragedy. However, there is no factual basis to support that sweeping generalization.
Background
In July 2026, digital platforms—including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—spread claims about a petition organized by 9/11 family members seeking to exclude Mayor Zohran Mamdani from the upcoming 25th-anniversary Ground Zero ceremony. One prominent X post alleged that nearly 30,000 signatures had been gathered to block the “Islamist” mayor, characterizing his attendance as an insult to the city’s memory.
The online wave followed a report by the New York Post detailing a real petition hosted on Change.org. By late July, the petition had surpassed 60,000 signatures. It was initiated by Giovanni Galante, whose wife died in the attacks, alongside other relatives like Meryl Mayo-Marshall. The document formally asked organizers to evaluate whether Mamdani’s presence would conflict with the solemn intentions of a ceremony dedicated directly to grieving families.
Because the core claim—that a petition initiated and signed by some 9/11 families aimed to exclude Mamdani—did indeed occur, the statement is rated True.
Scope and Representation
While the petition gained substantial traction, claims suggesting it represented all families of the 2,976 victims are unfounded. Galante estimated that out of tens of thousands of signers, roughly 3,000 to 7,500 might be relatives of victims. However, in an interview with the Substack publication Popular Information, Galante acknowledged that this figure was an estimate and not verified against the actual list of signatories.
Organizers of the 25th-anniversary ceremony—overseen by the 9/11 Memorial and Museum—issued a statement emphasizing their desire to keep the commemoration strictly nonpartisan:
“We have 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.”
Museum representatives declined to clarify whether Mamdani had been formally invited or if any invitation would be rescinded. Meanwhile, Mayor Mamdani addressed reporters on July 27, 2026, confirming his intention to participate:
“I will proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders, forever impacted by that horrific terror attack 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…”
Basis of the Petition
The petition specifically cited grievances regarding Mamdani’s public stances, associations, and rhetoric, arguing that his positions failed to properly respect the gravity of the attacks or disavow the ideologies fueling such violence. Key points raised in the petition include:
- The “Intifada” Phrasing: The petition criticized Mamdani for refusing to explicitly condemn the slogan “Globalize the intifada.” During a June 2025 interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Mamdani sidestepped requests to denounce the phrase directly, stating it was not language he personally used, but adding that a mayor’s job is not “to police speech.”
- Family Associations: Signatories pointed to political and ideological influences from his father, academic Mahmood Mamdani, whose scholarly work has examined the historical context of terrorism and suicide bombing.
- Meetings with Religious Figures: The petition highlighted Mamdani’s October 2025 meeting with Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj, which drew intense criticism from conservative figures and Republicans. While Wahhaj has publicly denied ties to terrorism, critics noted his historical inclusion on an unindicted co-conspirator list related to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing—though legal experts have noted that list was considered overly inclusive and that prosecutors never formally charged Wahhaj as a co-conspirator. Mamdani defended the meeting, pointing out that previous New York City mayors had also engaged with Wahhaj.
- Administrative Appointments: The petition also objected to the appointment of Ramzi Kassem as New York City’s chief counsel. Kassem previously represented Ahmed Muhammed Haza al-Darbi, an al-Qaida operative who pleaded guilty to involvement in a 2002 tanker attack and was later released from Guantánamo Bay.