Fact Check: Is Mamdani under fire after handing symbolic 9/11 pen to ex-al Qaeda defense lawyer?

WASHINGTON, DC: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has allegedly drawn criticism ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks after signing two executive orders related to the day. The orders designate September 11 as a citywide Day of Remembrance and Service and aim to strengthen the city’s emergency preparedness.

The controversy centers on what happened after Mamdani signed the orders. He handed the ceremonial pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and asked her to pass it to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem. Let's fact-check the claim.

Claim: Mamdani is under fire after handing a symbolic 9/11 pen to ex al-Qaeda defense lawyer

A video showing Mamdani signing executive orders designating September 11 as a citywide Day of Remembrance and Service has gone viral ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

In the video, Mamdani signs the orders and then hands the ceremonial pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who passes it to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem.

Kassem previously represented Guantánamo detainee Ahmed al-Darbi, who pleaded guilty to war-crime charges linked to al-Qaeda plots, including the 2002 bombing of the French oil tanker MV Limburg.

Al-Darbi’s sister was married to Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the hijackers who was aboard American Airlines Flight 77 when it struck the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.

Several X users criticized Mamdani over the handoff and questioned his decision to give the symbolic pen to Kassem. Some critics, including 9/11 victims’ family members and commentators, called the gesture insensitive or disrespectful because of Kassem’s connection to al-Darbi.

The controversy has also added to criticism of Mamdani’s planned participation in 9/11 commemorative events.

Fact Check: Mamdani is facing political backlash

The claim is true. Mamdani is facing political backlash and public criticism after he handed a ceremonial 9/11 signing pen to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem.

The handoff drew criticism on social media, with users arguing that Kassem’s involvement distracted from a ceremony meant to honor the people killed in the attacks and the first responders who died while trying to save them.

Some critics described the gesture as insensitive and disrespectful ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

Podcaster Benny Johnson called the handoff “a slap in the face to victims,” while former New York state Senate candidate Maria Danzilo said the situation showed how difficult it was for New Yorkers to approach the anniversary under Mamdani’s leadership.

Another X user accused Mamdani of deliberately undermining the significance of 9/11.

City Hall told the New York Post that Kassem attended the ceremony because he and his team drafted both executive orders as part of his duties as chief counsel.