Ms. Rachel Backs Mamdani in 100,000-Signature 9/11 Memorial Backlash

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 11

Ms. Rachel used Instagram on the eve of the 25th-anniversary ceremony to call Mayor Zohran Mamdani “awesome” and denounce what she described as anti-Muslim and anti-Arab attacks on him.
The defense came as victims’ relatives and Republicans pressed Mamdani to skip the Sept. 11 memorial, arguing his past rhetoric, political ties and recent actions make his presence inappropriate.
More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition citing Mamdani’s praise for Imam Siraj Wahhaj, endorsements of figures accused of minimizing 9/11, and links to streamer Hasan Piker, who once said the U.S. “deserved” the attacks.
Scrutiny has also intensified over Mamdani giving a ceremonial 9/11 pen to chief counsel Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented a convicted al-Qaeda member tied by family to one of the hijackers.
The dispute has turned the city’s 25-year remembrance into a broader political fight over Islamophobia, antisemitism and how public officials should engage with 9/11 memorial events.