by Rachel Stewart

Today is the 25^th anniversary of 9/11, or tomorrow in the US. Where it actually matters.

It should be a straightforward day of remembrance for the nation, and particularly for the affected families, but alas, it is turning into what everything seems to turn into these days. A cluster of epic proportions.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that New York City now has a Muslim mayor. Zohran Mamdani has somehow managed to not only upset the families with his comments, and also his lack of them, that a petition has been signed by more than 100,000 urging him to stay away from the upcoming commemorative events.

The petition was launched on Change.org by 9/11 widower Giovanni Galante and other relatives of the victims who died that day. The organisers refer to eight specific grievances regarding Mamdani’s public positions, past comments, and political alliances. And here’s the rub. His appointment of Ramzi Kassem as New York City's chief legal counsel.

So who is Ramzi Kassem? Kassem has previously represented more than a dozen clients held at Guantánamo Bay and other military detention sites. But his biggest terrorist fish was when he served as defence counsel for Ahmed al-Darbi, an al-Qaeda operative who pleaded guilty to charges related to the 2002 bombing of a French oil tanker. Al-Darbi is also the brother-in-law of one of the hijackers on American Airlines Flight 77, which struck the Pentagon.

But just to drive his naked derision towards the families even further home, here’s what Mamdani publicly did last week. He signed two city executive orders at City Hall. One established an official citywide “Day of Remembrance and Service,” while the other created an emergency preparedness team.

After signing the documents, Mamdani handed the symbolic pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and instructed her to pass it to Kassem. Take a look and tell me he’s not giving America and the families the middle finger.

That one single act – the passing of the pen – has offended millions of Americans, yet despite the mounting pressure and the delivery of the petition, Mamdani says that he still intends to attend the Ground Zero ceremonies. He said that his presence is “meant to honour the families, survivors, and first responders who lost loved ones or sacrificed everything during the tragedy”.

But as the bereaved families rightly point out, they didn’t “lose” their loved ones but that their loved ones were “murdered” by Muslim terrorists. Mamdani can never seem to bring himself to mention the Muslim factor, you know, what with being one himself.

And his wife has not helped the cause either. Rama Duwaji’s past social media activity and political artwork has only served to fuel the larger controversy surrounding Mamdani’s administration. She is overtly anti-Jewish and refers openly to “American imperialism”. Of course, she’s allowed to have her opinion, but as the wife of the New York City Mayor, she can’t honestly expect not to be challenged on it.

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who – whatever your thoughts on him latterly – is universally admired for leading the post-9/11 grief and shock phase with skill and humanity, has, along with others, called on Mamdani to stay away from the commemorations. He made a strong case.

But just as they do in Britain whenever somebody speaks up about Islam in any way, shape, or form, he was simply attacked for his “rant” or his “tirade”. Somehow engaging with the substance of his words is a step too far for what passes for media these days.

As the West marches lockstep in suicidal empathy towards a dominant and all-powerful Islam, we are going to get – are already getting – what we ultimately deserve.

Of course, Mamdani, as an elected mayor, has the right to attend the 9/11 commemorations, but it’s morally questionable.

I’ve got a bad feeling about this 25-year commemoration. So much could go wrong. In the end, and given that the U.S. now has more than one hundred million people who weren’t even born 25 years ago and see it more in the abstract, I’m with the families.

It is ultimately their day, and let’s give them the final say.

Listen to the full episode of Riding Shotgun.