5 Towns CentralMamdani Hands 9/11 Commemorative Pen to Counsel Who Once Represented Al-Qaeda Operative
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked the upcoming 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks Friday by signing two executive orders focused on remembering the victims and strengthening the city’s preparedness against future terrorist threats.
The ceremony drew controversy, however, after Mamdani’s chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, received the ceremonial pen used to sign the orders.
Kassem, who arrived at the Blue Room ceremony about 15 minutes late, was handed the pen after Mamdani signed the final order. Video shows Mamdani asking Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch to pass it along, with Tisch then giving it to Kassem. Kassem was seen smiling as he accepted it before leaving shortly afterward.
The controversy stems from Kassem’s past legal work. He represented Ahmed al-Darbi, an al-Qaeda operative who was transferred to Guantánamo following his conviction in connection with the 2002 bombing of a French oil tanker. Al-Darbi was involved in an al-Qaeda plot targeting the international oil industry in the aftermath of 9/11.
Al-Darbi also had a family connection to the September 11 attacks: his sister was married to Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the hijackers who helped carry out the attacks and was aboard the plane that crashed into the Pentagon.
Kassem, 48, is a law professor and founded a CUNY legal clinic providing free legal representation to Muslim clients. He has also represented Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent pro-Palestinian Columbia University protest leader who was detained by ICE.
Mamdani’s administration defended Kassem’s presence at the ceremony, saying his attendance was appropriate because he and his legal team drafted both executive orders in his capacity as chief counsel.
The appearance nevertheless drew sharp criticism from Council Member Vicki Paladino, a Republican representing Queens, who called Kassem’s involvement “an insult to every New Yorker who survived that day.”
The episode comes as city officials prepare for the 25th anniversary of 9/11, with the administration emphasizing both remembrance of those killed and heightened efforts to protect New York against future terrorist threats.
🚨 NOW: Ugandan Mayor Mamdani is facing major backlash from victims' families after he signed a 9/11 executive order and gave the honorary pen to a lawyer who REPRESENTED an AL-QAEDA TERRORIST connected to the Pentagon attack — NYP
The enemy is inside the gates.
The pen was… pic.twitter.com/AnfVXamkfM
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 5, 2026