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Mamdani faces backlash after giving 9/11 ceremony pen to top aide
foxnews.com • • nation
Key Points:
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced backlash for giving a ceremonial pen from a 9/11 remembrance event to Ramzi Kassem, an aide who previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, linked to al Qaeda and the 9/11 Pentagon hijacker's family.
- Mamdani signed executive orders for the 25th anniversary of 9/11, designating the day for remembrance and service, and handed the pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch to pass to Kassem, who helped draft the orders.
- Critics on social media condemned the gesture as disrespectful to 9/11 victims and first responders, calling it a "slap in the face" and undermining the solemnity of the anniversary.
- City Hall defended Kassem's presence, stating his role as chief counsel involved drafting the executive orders, despite scrutiny over his past legal representation of individuals connected to terrorism and pro-Palestinian activism.
- Mamdani's office has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the controversy.
