New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash after giving a ceremonial pen from a 9/11 remembrance ceremony to a top aide who once represented a convicted al Qaeda member whose brother-in-law hijacked the plane that struck the Pentagon.Mamdani signed executive orders Friday ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Sept.11 attacks, designating the date a citywide day of remembrance and service and strengthening efforts to prevent future terrorist threats.After signing the final order, Mamdani handed the pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and asked her to pass it to chief counsel Ramzi Kassem.
Kassem previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, who pleaded guilty to war-crime charges tied to al Qaeda plots against commercial ships and was the brother-in-law of Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon, killing 184.MAMDANI FACES GROWING 9/11 BACKLASH AS OLD POST RESURFACES AHEAD OF GROUND ZERO CEREMONY: 'IS THIS REAL?'NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch hands a ceremonial pen to Ramzi Kassem, who once represented a convicted al Qaeda member tied to a 9/11 hijacker.(NYC Office of the Mayor)The handoff drew criticism on social media, with users arguing on X that Kassem’s role in the ceremony distracted from an event meant to honor those killed in the attacks and the first responders who died trying to save them."This is a slap in the face to victims ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11," wrote podcaster Benny Johnson on X.FLASHBACK: MAMDANI TORCHED FOR RECYCLING 9/11 TRIBUTES AFTER YEARS OF NEAR-IDENTICAL POSTSRamzi Kassem, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s chief counsel, previously represented Guantánamo Bay detainee Ahmed al-Darbi.
(Michael M.Santiago/Getty Image)"I sincerely hope the rest of the country understands just how hard it is to be in New York City with this mayor, and especially as we’re approaching this most serious and solemn day for NYC: 9/11," wrote former New York state Senate candidate Ma...