Trump skips 9/11 anniversary as New York's first Muslim mayor draws focus

At the World Trade Center site in New York City, a public ceremony was held today to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The ceremony opened with a nationwide seventy-five-second moment of silence, followed by the mayor, numerous political dignitaries, diplomats, survivors, and victims' family members jointly lighting memorial candles, symbolizing remembrance for the deceased and prayers for peace. Since 2004, New York has commemorated the tragedy each year—when four commercial airliners were hijacked, two striking the Twin Towers, another hitting the Pentagon, and a fourth crashing in Pennsylvania, resulting in the deaths of over 3,000 people and profoundly altering the global political and security landscape. This year's ceremony specially invited multiple international leaders and representatives of non-governmental organizations, aiming to remind the world that the threat of terrorism has not been eliminated and calling on nations to work together to prevent similar atrocities from happening again.

Unlike in previous years, U.S. President Donald Trump was absent from the memorial events. Trump had attended the September 11 memorial ceremonies multiple times since 2017, using the platform to emphasize his policy orientation of "combating Islamic terrorism." However, during the critical juncture of the 2024 presidential election, Trump chose to remain at his campaign headquarters in Florida, with official explanations citing scheduling conflicts and security considerations. External observers broadly interpreted this as an electoral strategy to avoid excessive association with the memorial events, lest opponents accuse him of exploiting national grief as a political tool. Trump's absence also prompted some media outlets to question his leadership image, arguing that the lack of symbolic leadership during a major national day of remembrance could weaken America's moral authority against terrorism on the global stage.

Against this backdrop, New York City's first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, attended the ceremony, becoming the focus of national attention. Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City's 7th district in 2021, representing a diverse population primarily composed of immigrant communities such as those from Somalia and Pakistan. In his inaugural speech, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of "diversity and inclusion" and "religious freedom," using his own family's experiences with war and the immigration process to call for societal understanding and acceptance of religious minorities. Speaking at the ceremony, Mamdani mentioned that the September 11 tragedy was not only an attack on the United States but a challenge to all faiths and values, and that only through empathy and a spirit of unity can the continuation of hatred truly be prevented. His attendance was seen as a clear response to the notion that "terrorism transcends religion" and symbolized a step forward in America's diverse governance.

However, Mamdani's participation immediately sparked fierce backlash on social media and across some conservative forums. Right-wing commentators accused "political correctness" of eroding respect for the victims of September 11, with some voices even suggesting that Muslim leaders should not appear at such national ceremonies. Some far-right groups further launched online petitions citing "Islamic terrorism has still not been eradicated" to demand the revocation of Mamdani's mayoral qualification. Such rhetoric reflects the internal prejudice against Islam and political divisions within the United States in recent years, particularly as anti-Muslim legislative proposals and public debates emerged endlessly between 2022 and 2024. Despite this, the New York City Council and multiple interfaith organizations quickly issued statements condemning any form of religious discrimination and reiterating that national memorial days should center on "shared mourning" rather than "divisive accusations."

Mamdani's attendance and the ensuing controversy reflect the tension in the United States between memory and multi-ethnic coexistence. The commemoration of September 11 is not only a historical review of terrorist attacks, but also a touchstone for examining contemporary societal values. If different ethnic voices can be accommodated in such ceremonies, it may perhaps forge a broader consensus at the national level.