Families of 9/11 victims are urging organizers to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending this year's 25th anniversary remembrance ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in Lower Manhattan.

A Change.org petition organized by several victims' families calls on the museum, which runs the annual commemoration, to reconsider inviting Mamdani. The petition states that "concerns have been raised about Mr. Mamdani's public positions, associations, and responses to rhetoric that many perceive as hostile to these shared values."

The families wrote: "Given these concerns, we respectfully ask that the organizers carefully consider whether Mr. Mamdani's participation would align with the intention of the ceremony and the expectations of the families most directly affected by the tragedy."

Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and elected mayor as a Democrat, has not immediately returned requests for comment from Fox News Digital. However, he told reporters at an unrelated press conference Monday that he plans to attend.

What the Left Is Saying

Progressive groups and Mamdani's supporters argue that excluding the duly elected mayor would be unprecedented and politically motivated. They note that every sitting mayor of New York City has attended the ceremony since 9/11, regardless of political affiliation.

Supporters point out that Mamdani won his election decisively and represents all New Yorkers. Including him at a commemorative event is different from giving him a speaking role or platform, they argue.

The museum's own spokesperson emphasized its commitment to keeping commemoration "free of politics." The statement noted: "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."

Some progressive commentators have argued that the petition conflates guilt by association with actual wrongdoing. They note that Mamdani himself has not been accused of supporting terrorism or extremist ideologies.

What the Right Is Saying

Families behind the petition point to what they describe as Mamdani's "perceived reluctance" to unequivocally condemn phrases like "globalize the intifada," which they characterize as a slogan associated with calls for the eradication of Jews. They argue that an unambiguous rejection of such rhetoric should be expected from any official attending the ceremony.

The families also cited association concerns, referencing Rep. Chip Roy's 2025 release outlining Mamdani's connection to Siraj Wahhaj, an imam who hosted Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the Blind Sheikh and mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Families specifically pointed to passages from a book written by Mahmood Mamdani, the mayor's father and a Columbia University professor. The 2004 book "Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror" argued that suicide bombers should be understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as barbarism.

The petition also referenced Darializa Chevalier, a socialist candidate backed by Mamdani who once tweeted about wiping soiled hands on an American flag. Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in a Democratic primary.

Families wrote: "For 9/11 families, this is not simply a public ceremony — it is a deeply personal day of mourning. The presence of individuals whose words or associations are perceived as conflicting with the solemn purpose of the event risks detracting from that focus and causing additional pain."

What the Numbers Show

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum has organized the annual commemoration for 25 years, reading aloud the names of all 2,977 victims killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor with approximately 51% of the vote in June 2025 and subsequently won the general election. He is the first mayor of New York City born outside the United States.

The Change.org petition had collected signatures from multiple families of 9/11 victims at the time of reporting, though an exact signature count was not immediately available.

The Bottom Line

The controversy sets up a potential conflict between families of victims and museum organizers ahead of this year's milestone anniversary. The museum has stated it works to keep commemorations free of politics while welcoming officials from across the political spectrum who remain silent observers.

Mamdani has confirmed he intends to attend, saying he will "proudly honor families the survivors the first resp forever impacted by that horrific terror attack." Whether organizers grant or deny requests to bar him remains to be seen. The outcome could set a precedent for how the museum handles future disputes between families and elected officials.