New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced swift criticism after handing a ceremonial pen used to sign 9/11 remembrance orders to his chief counsel, who previously represented a Guantánamo Bay detainee with ties to a September 11 hijacker.

The incident occurred Friday during a City Hall ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks. Mamdani signed two executive orders-one designating September 11 as an annual Day of Remembrance and Service, and another updating the city’s emergency preparedness protocols.

What Happened at the Ceremony

After signing the orders, Mamdani directed NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch to pass the ceremonial pen to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem. Video from the event captured the quiet exchange between the mayor and Tisch before she handed the pen to Kassem.

Kassem, a longtime attorney, previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, a detainee held at Guantánamo Bay who pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges connected to a 2002 bombing of a French oil tanker off Yemen. Al-Darbi’s brother-in-law, Khalid al-Mihdhar, was among the 19 hijackers who carried out the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon.

City Hall stated that Kassem attended the ceremony because his office helped draft both executive orders as part of his duties as chief counsel. The mayor’s office did not address the specific decision to have Kassem hold the signing pen.

The Reaction

Relatives of 9/11 victims and city council members condemned the moment almost immediately. Dennis Warchola, whose brother Michael died as a firefighter in the North Tower, questioned why someone with Kassem’s legal history would receive such prominence during the commemoration.

Council Member Joann Ariola called the gesture