Full Breakdown
25th Anniversary of 9/11 Marked by Calls to Reject Anti-Muslim Bigotry
By Drooid · · How we work
The Anniversary Appeal
During the 25th-year commemoration at the National September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan, Michael Massaroli Jr., whose father was killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks, urged the crowd not to let the tragedy fuel hatred. He emphasized that honoring the victims means rejecting the use of the attacks to spread anti-Muslim sentiment.
Context of Rising Islamophobia
The appeal unfolded amid a surge of Islamophobic rhetoric targeting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the first Muslim elected to lead the city. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and other Republican figures publicly suggested Mamdani should skip the ceremony, invoking his religion and the 9/11 attacks. Commentary also linked the Trump administration’s immigration policies to broader discrimination against Muslims, noting that those policies have been criticized for targeting Muslim and Arab communities.
Official Responses
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) cited a March report indicating a record 8,683 anti-Muslim and anti-Arab complaints in 2025, attributing part of the increase to the administration’s immigration crackdown and reactions to pro-Palestinian protests.
Data on Anti-Muslim Complaints
- 8,683 complaints recorded in 2025, the highest number reported by CAIR, encompassing immigration and travel discrimination, employment bias, and alleged targeting of Muslim and Arab communities.
Verbatim Quotes
- “One parting thing I want to leave everyone with is that you do my dad's legacy and the legacy of all these victims no honor by using this tragedy to spread hate,” — Michael Massaroli — Michael Massaroli, son of a 9/11 victim.