Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has publicly called for New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani to skip the upcoming September 11 memorial ceremony. The remarks were made during an interview with the network Newsmax, where Giuliani expressed personal offense at the prospect of Mamdani’s presence at the event. Giuliani, who served as mayor during the 2001 terrorist attacks, cited his close ties to the families of victims and his own personal losses as the basis for his objection.

In his comments, Giuliani explicitly disparaged Mamdani’s Muslim faith as a reason for his opposition to the assemblymember's attendance. Mamdani, who was participating in New York’s J’ouvert and West Indian Day Parade celebrations, confirmed his awareness of the controversy on Monday. While Giuliani has framed the issue as a matter of respect for the victims and their families, the comments have drawn attention to the intersection of religious identity and public commemoration in New York City politics. As of now, there has been no indication that Mamdani intends to change his plans regarding the memorial service.