Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani Criticizes 'Muslim' Zohran Mamdani, Says He Should Not Attend 9/11 Memorial Service

[Financial News] Former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, who was in office during the 9/11 attacks in 2001, asked current New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim, not to attend the 25th-anniversary memorial service being held this week.
According to The New York Times (NYT) on the 7th (local time), Rudy Giuliani appeared on Just the News, a pro-Trump far-right media outlet, and said that Zohran Mamdani's plan to attend the memorial service “displeases me.” He likened Zohran Mamdani to a 9/11 terrorist, claiming, “Terrorists had hostility toward the United States, but they did not try to hide it like Zohran Mamdani did.” He also put forward a baseless conspiracy theory that “Zohran Mamdani supports a Muslim conspiracy to take over the United States and parts of Europe.”
Rudy Giuliani, who served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001, was praised for his calm response immediately following the 9/11 attacks and was regarded as a symbol of unity, earning the nickname "America's Mayor." However, he subsequently shifted significantly to the right politically, and in 2024, he was disbarred for making false statements while defending President Donald Trump in connection with the campaign to challenge the 2020 presidential election results. President Donald Trump pardoned him last year.
Zohran Mamdani's side did not respond directly to Rudy Giuliani's remarks, but instead responded through an online petition containing demands similar to those made by Rudy Giuliani. As of today, approximately 100,000 people have signed the petition.
Zohran Mamdani expressed his intention to attend last July, stating, "I will stand by the bereaved families, survivors, and rescue workers who have lived with lifelong scars from that terrible terror attack, and join them at this year's 9/11 memorial service to honor them," and added, "I will reaffirm my commitment to all of us who regard this city, and indeed this country, as our home, that we will never forget that solemn day."
Last week, Zohran Mamdani also signed an executive order designating September 11 of each year as a "citywide Day of Remembrance and Service." He was nine years old at the time of the attack and attending an elementary school in Manhattan's Upper West Side, and has stated that the incident was a defining experience of his upbringing.
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