--- title: "Mayor Mamdani to attend 9/11 ceremony amid criticism" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/mayor-mamdani-to-attend-911-ceremony-amid-criticism" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/mayor-mamdani-to-attend-911-ceremony-amid-criticism" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/mayor-mamdani-to-attend-911-ceremony-amid-criticism.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/mayor-mamdani-to-attend-911-ceremony-amid-criticism" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-07T18:25:13.258Z" source_reported: "2026-09-07T17:54:51.000Z" updated: "2026-09-07T18:25:13.258Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 70 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-07T18:15:14.794613+00:00" --- # Mayor Mamdani to attend 9/11 ceremony amid criticism *Critics cite his chief legal counsel's past representation of an al-Qaeda member's relative.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and digests from 7 other outlets corroborate the central claims. - Craft 70 of 100, higher is better. Reports include direct quotes, explain the controversy's origins, and detail upcoming events. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and content are measured, accurately reflecting the reported facts without exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will attend the annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony on Friday. - Criticism of Mamdani's attendance centres on his appointment of Ramzi Kassem as chief legal counsel. - Kassem previously represented a convicted al-Qaeda member whose brother-in-law was involved in the 9/11 attacks. - A petition against Mamdani's attendance has gathered nearly 100,000 signatures. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stated he will attend the city's annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony on Friday. His decision has faced criticism from some family members of victims and prominent Republicans, who have called for him to stay away. The controversy centres on Mamdani's appointment of Ramzi Kassem as chief legal counsel. Critics point to Kassem's past legal representation of a convicted al-Qaeda member. This individual's brother-in-law was involved in the 9/11 attacks, having been part of the group that hijacked the plane which struck the Pentagon. A petition organised by relatives of 9/11 victims urging Mamdani not to attend has garnered nearly 100,000 signatures, according to its supporters. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani has publicly stated he would be offended by Mamdani's attendance and made claims that critics have described as baseless, including suggesting the mayor does not believe the 9/11 attacks were acts of terrorism. Mamdani has defended his commitment to honouring the victims. He stated his focus at the ceremony will be on the first responders and the families who lost loved ones. Mamdani is expected to be the first Muslim mayor to attend the official ceremony, though most previous New York City mayors have participated. ## Giuliani's claims Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, speaking on Newsmax, said he would be offended by Mamdani's attendance. Giuliani also made claims that critics and others have described as baseless. Some have characterised Giuliani's comments as anti-Muslim. ## What the coverage left out None of the reports below mention the presence of Vice President JD Vance or the absence of President Trump from the ceremony, details included in the full reports from ABC 7 Chicago and ABC 13 Houston. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 40% (4) - Centre: 60% (6) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-07T18:15:14.794613+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-07T18:30:24.322Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on Mayor Mamdani's confirmation that he would attend the 9/11 ceremony despite criticism. These reports included details about the controversy stemming from his appointment of Ramzi Kassem as chief legal counsel, noting Kassem's past representation of a convicted al-Qaeda member whose relative was involved in the 9/11 attacks. The reports also mentioned the petition against Mamdani's attendance, which gathered nearly 100,000 signatures. IBTimes UK reported the petition had 98,000 signatures. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports also led on Mayor Mamdani's intention to attend the 9/11 remembrance ceremony despite mounting criticism. These reports detailed the controversy surrounding his chief legal counsel, Ramzi Kassem, and Kassem's prior representation of an al-Qaeda member's relative. The reports noted the petition against Mamdani's attendance had gathered nearly 100,000 signatures. Several centre-rated outlets, including ABC 7 Chicago, ABC 13 Houston, ABC 6 Philadelphia, ABC 7 LA, ABC11 Raleigh, and ABC 7 News, published identical full reports from the Associated Press. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 9 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [IBTimes UK](https://ibtimes.co.uk/zohran-mamdani-ground-zero-911-anniversary-petition-backlash-1818324) — Mamdani Faces 98,000-Signature Petition To Keep Him Away From 9/11 Anniversary Memorial - [abc 7 Chicago](https://abc7chicago.com/story/george-pataki-rudy-giuliani-911-families-oppose-mamdanis-attendance-fridays-wtc-ceremony/19802631) — Mayor Mamdani says he'll attend 9/11 ceremony despite growing criticism - [abc 6 Philadelphia](https://6abc.com/story/george-pataki-rudy-giuliani-911-families-oppose-mamdanis-attendance-fridays-wtc-ceremony/19802631) — Mayor Mamdani says he'll attend 9/11 ceremony despite growing criticism - [abc 7 LA](https://abc7.com/story/george-pataki-rudy-giuliani-911-families-oppose-mamdanis-attendance-fridays-wtc-ceremony/19802631) — Mayor Mamdani says he'll attend 9/11 ceremony despite growing criticism - [abc 13 Houston](https://abc13.com/story/george-pataki-rudy-giuliani-911-families-oppose-mamdanis-attendance-fridays-wtc-ceremony/19802631) — Mayor Mamdani says he'll attend 9/11 ceremony despite growing criticism - [abc11 Raleigh](https://abc11.com/story/george-pataki-rudy-giuliani-911-families-oppose-mamdanis-attendance-fridays-wtc-ceremony/19802631) — Mayor Mamdani says he'll attend 9/11 ceremony despite growing criticism - [abc 7 News](https://abc7news.com/story/george-pataki-rudy-giuliani-911-families-oppose-mamdanis-attendance-fridays-wtc-ceremony/19802631) — Mayor Mamdani says he'll attend 9/11 ceremony despite growing criticism - [abc30 News](https://abc30.com/story/george-pataki-rudy-giuliani-911-families-oppose-mamdanis-attendance-fridays-wtc-ceremony/19802631) — Mayor Mamdani says he'll attend 9/11 ceremony despite growing criticism - [WTXF](https://fox29.com/news/mamdani-confirms-he-will-attend-9-11-memorial-friday-amid-criticism) — Mamdani confirms he will attend 9/11 memorial on Friday amid criticism - [WNYW](https://fox5ny.com/news/mamdani-confirms-he-will-attend-9-11-memorial-friday-amid-criticism) — Mamdani confirms he will attend 9/11 memorial on Friday amid criticism ## Questions **Why is Mayor Mamdani facing criticism over attending the 9/11 ceremony?** Criticism stems from Mayor Mamdani's appointment of Ramzi Kassem as chief legal counsel. Kassem previously represented a convicted al-Qaeda member whose brother-in-law was involved in the 9/11 attacks. This has led some to question Mamdani's attendance at the remembrance event. **How many people have signed the petition against Mamdani's attendance?** A petition launched by relatives of 9/11 victims urging the mayor not to attend the annual ceremony has gathered nearly 100,000 signatures, according to supporters of the effort. IBTimes UK reported the petition had 98,000 signatures. **What has Mayor Mamdani said about the criticism?** Mayor Mamdani has stated his focus will be on the victims and first responders. He expressed pride in being the mayor of New York City and stated his intention to focus on the families who lost loved ones and the first responders. When asked about Giuliani's comments, Mamdani said he did not have much more to add. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. 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