The Controversial Handoff
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani handed a symbolic pen from a 9/11 ceremony to his chief counsel. The pen came from an event marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the United States. Mamdani signed executive orders that day to strengthen security and honor victims. Fox News reported that he asked Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to pass the pen to Ramzi Kassem.
Kassem is the top legal advisor for the mayor. He previously defended Ahmed al-Darbi, a convicted al Qaeda member. Al-Darbi pleaded guilty to war crimes involving plots against commercial ships. His brother-in-law was one of the hijackers who flew a plane into the Pentagon.
Public Outcry and Accusations
Critics immediately called the gesture a deep insult to 9/11 families. Ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Podcaster Benny Johnson stated on X that the move was a slap in the face to victims. Former state Senate candidate Maria Danzilo said she hopes the country understands how hard it is to live in New York with this mayor.
Retired detective Michael Alcazar told The New York Post that the act was not a mistake. He stated, “It was calculated.” Alcazar argued that 9/11 families did not come to City Hall to see the mayor spotlight someone linked to terrorist ideology. He noted that Commissioner Tisch was treated like a prop rather than a leader.
Senator Rick Scott posted that the mayor’s actions are “morally bankrupt.” Council Member Joann Ariola called the choice “breathtakingly tone-deaf and disrespectful.” She said it shows exactly where the mayor’s loyalties truly lie. The families who lost loved ones have every right to be outraged, she added.
The Lawyer’s Past Cases
City Hall told the New York Post that Kassem attended because he and his team drafted the orders. However, his legal history raises serious questions for many residents. Kassem also represented Mohammad Mani Ahmad al-Qahtani, who allegedly tried to help hijack planes on 9/11.
Al-Qahtani was held at Guantanamo Bay for two decades. Kassem worked with students for ten years to get him sent back to Saudi Arabia. They succeeded in doing so in 2022. The Daily Wire noted that Kassem also represented al Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Darbi in court.
Al-Darbi pleaded guilty in 2014 regarding a plot to bomb a French oil tanker. He was sentenced in 2017. President Donald Trump’s administration transferred him to Saudi Arabia in 2018. Kassem founded a legal clinic at CUNY that provides free help to Muslims. He also represented Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of a pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University.
Mamdani’s office did not answer a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The controversy comes just as the city prepares for major ceremonies at Ground Zero. The executive orders signed Friday designated September 11 as a day of remembrance and service.
These orders also aim to prevent future terrorist threats. The handoff of the pen remains a focal point of the debate. No further comments have been released by the mayor’s team.
