Escalation: Mamdani signs two 9/11 executive orders

Ahead of the 25th anniversary, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed two orders: one making September 11 an annual day of remembrance and service, and one directing city agencies to strengthen preparedness against future attacks. At the City Hall signing, he handed the ceremonial pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who passed it to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, a lawyer who previously represented al-Qaeda operative Ahmed al-Darbi; Kassem’s team helped draft the orders.

The pen handoff and Mamdani’s plan to attend the ceremony set off a backlash from Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino. She said on air that it was “a message to Osama bin Laden,” adding the message was “We conquered New York.”

Relatives of 9/11 victims and a former NYPD detective also condemned the move, and Council Member Joann Ariola called it tone-deaf and disrespectful. City Hall said Kassem attended in his official role and was personally invested as a New Yorker who was in the city on September 11.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources