Calls for New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to sit out the upcoming 9/11 memorial ceremony are getting louder, as the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights addressed a letter to the mayor urging him not to attend. The letter, authored by Catholic League President Bill Donahue, cited Mamdani's refusal to condemn Islamic extremism and listed numerous people in his circle who have amplified anti-American, anti-Semitic values.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue is asking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to skip the 9/11 ceremony. pic.twitter.com/1gCQ98FJY4
— Catholic League (@CatholicLeague) August 3, 2026
The letter emphasizes an already prominent petition launched by 9/11 widower Giovanni Galante, which asks Mamdani to skip the 9/11 ceremony on the event's solemn 25th anniversary.
Citing Mamdani's absence at both the Veterans Day parade and the Israeli Day parade, saying, "Given that this is the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and that your presence would clearly be divisive—that is why there is a petition seeking to stop you from going—it would be best for everyone involved if you skipped this event."
The letter notes that attendance for all is an "act of witness, not a public forum," and says that Mamdani's attendance would be "awkward" and cause Catholics in particular to be "incensed." Donahue describes the personal stake that Catholics have in the matter, noting that the FDNY and NYPD estimated that around 85-90 percent of the first responders who lost their lives in 9/11 were Catholic.
"You have made it very clear that you are infinitely more upset about prejudice against Muslims following 9/11 than the deadly events of that day," the letter reads. Mamdani has repeatedly spoken about 9/11 through the lens of 'Islamophobia," falsely claiming (as the letter points out) that his aunt was afraid to wear her hijab in public following the tragedy.
Aside from Mamdani's personal comments and actions, the letter names and condemns several people within his social and political circle — everyone from his parents and staffers, to his endorsers like Hasan Piker — who amplify the same sentiments. It also names the several Democratic Socialist candidates who have received Mamdani's endorsements.
"Your own reluctance to speak positively about the American role in fostering freedom at home and abroad is well known," Donahue wrote. "More to the point, your reluctance to speak negatively about the role of radical Muslims in fostering oppression and warfare, including the attacks on 9/11, makes you unsuitable to preside over the ceremony honoring these innocent Americans next month. Please do the honorable thing and skip this solemn ceremony."
More than 65,000 people have signed the petition urging Mamdani not to attend the memorial at Ground Zero, including prominent conservative actress Patricia Heaton, who starred in "The Middle" and "Everybody Loves Raymond."
Mamdani has said he will attend the memorial regardless, saying he will "proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them at this year's 9/11 commemoration."
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