New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come under criticism after giving a ceremonial pen used to sign 9/11 remembrance orders to a senior aide who previously represented a convicted al Qaeda-linked detainee.
Mamdani signed two executive orders on Friday ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, declaring the anniversary a citywide day of remembrance and service while also expanding measures aimed at preventing future terrorist threats.
After signing the final order, Mamdani handed the pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and asked her to give it to Ramzi Kassem, the city’s chief counsel.
Kassem previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, a Guantánamo Bay detainee who pleaded guilty to war-crime charges connected to al Qaeda plots targeting commercial vessels.
Al-Darbi was also the brother-in-law of Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 77, which was flown into the Pentagon during the September 11, 2001 attacks. A total of 184 people were killed when the plane crashed into the building.
The decision to include Kassem in the ceremony and hand him the commemorative pen prompted criticism online, with some social media users arguing that his presence overshadowed an event intended to honour the victims of the attacks and first responders who died while attempting to save others.
“This is a slap in the face to victims ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11,” podcaster Benny Johnson wrote on X.
Former New York state Senate candidate Maria Danzilo also criticised the mayor, writing: “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,”
Another X user described the handover as a “deliberate gesture by Mamdani that undermines 9 / 11 yet again with impunity.”
City Hall told the New York Post that Kassem attended the event because he and his team were responsible for drafting both executive orders in his capacity as chief counsel.
Kassem’s previous legal work has nevertheless attracted renewed attention because of his representation of al-Darbi.
Al-Darbi pleaded guilty to war-crime charges involving an al Qaeda plot against commercial shipping, including the 2002 bombing of a French oil tanker off Yemen’s coast.
His sister was married to al-Mihdhar, who was among the hijackers who took control of Flight 77 before it was crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
