Cheri Sparacio opposes Mamdani's 9/11 attendance over his policies, not religion
Cheri SparacioSeptember 11 victim's widow speaking personally
Sparacio opposed Mamdani's attendance on the basis of his policies and associations, including his relationship with Hasan Piker, while saying her objection was not to his religion or background.
“It is strictly about the policies that he has today”
Interview
Where this statement fits
Should Zohran Mamdani attend New York City’s 9/11 memorial?
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Gov. George Pataki, and some relatives of September 11 victims said Mayor Zohran Mamdani should not attend the 2026 commemoration, citing concerns about his rhetoric and associations. Mamdani said he would attend to honor victims, families, survivors, and first responders. Other elected officials and September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows said excluding the sitting mayor would politicize a ceremony meant for collective remembrance. The dispute is over the civic meaning and appropriateness of attendance, not over whether Mamdani has endorsed the September 11 attacks. Mamdani attended the 25th-anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero on September 11, 2026, shaking hands with Giuliani beforehand, and no protest took place. The argument over whether he should have been there continued after the ceremony, and the case remains open to record it.
Source and context
Interview
About this source
CNN's original reporting directly attributes different positions to city council member Shahana Hanif and victim's widow Cheri Sparacio. Hanif objects to exclusion on religious grounds. Sparacio says her objection concerns Mamdani's policies and associations, not his religion. The page specifies publication on September 10 at 5:00 a.m. ET.
Before the quotation
Sparacio joined other victims' relatives in a campaign asking Mamdani to stay away from the memorial ceremony.
After the quotation
This is her personal position, not the view of all September 11 families. CNN separately records Hanif's disagreement about religious discrimination.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The article identifies her participation in the campaign against attendance and records her stated reasons for that opposition.
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- People and groups discussed
- Zohran Mamdani
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Emma Vigeland calls Mamdani's handshake with Giuliani at the 9/11 ceremony masterful
“To recap: 1) Giuliani went on a racist rant about Muslims and said he'd be "offended" if Mamdani attended the 9/11 ceremony 2) Mamdani released thousands of documents on 9/11 air quality that implicate Giuliani 3) Mamdani shakes his hand with a smile at the ceremony Masterful.”Read statement
Chris Hayes says Mamdani modelled "civility and grace" by showing up and shaking hands
“Too many people online seem to conflate left politics with being obnoxious and scathing and Mamdani is such a model for combining a principled ideological vision with civility and grace. You shake hands, you act like a grown up even whether others aren't. You show up.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Cheri Sparacio opposes Mamdani's 9/11 attendance over his policies, not religion". First published: 2026-09-10. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/341-sparacio-opposed-mamdani-s-attendance-on-the-basis