In recent weeks, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has visited firehouses around New York City to direct attention toward 9/11 victims, away from himself. Three days before the 25th anniversary, conservative politicians demanded he not participate in the formal ceremony. But Mamdani had been commemorating for weeks: meeting firefighters at Ladder 118 in Brooklyn and Engine 24 and Ladder 5 in SoHo, visiting Bellevue Hospital, issuing executive orders honoring victims, and releasing air quality documents near ground zero.

At the ceremony, he stood with Gov. Kathy Hochul, Gov. Mikie Sherrill, and former Gov. George E. Pataki. He shook hands with Rudolph W. Giuliani, who said he was praying for him. As New York’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani navigates a delicate dynamic—speaking as the city’s top official and as a member of a religious group facing hostility since the attacks.

“It’s been 25 years, and I think America has gained a better understanding of Muslims,” said Husein Yatabarry of the Muslim Community Network. But right-wing angst seeks to bring back Islamophobia. Senator Tommy Tuberville shared images of Mamdani’s iftar dinner and the burning twin towers. Bruce Blakeman called him “un-American.” A petition against his presence garnered over 96,000 signatures.