Edward Ahmed Mitchell
Role at the time: Deputy executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
Defended or excused
Statement summary
Mitchell said excluding Mamdani because he is Muslim or through guilt-by-association arguments would be anti-Muslim bigotry.
“anti-Muslim bigotry, plain and simple”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Some 9/11 families defend Mayor Mamdani’s inclusion at remembrance ceremonyInterviews with Elizabeth Miller and Edward Ahmed Mitchell
CBS New York interviews a 9/11 family member supporting Mamdani's attendance and a CAIR representative characterizing calls for exclusion as anti-Muslim bigotry.
Why we used this label
Mitchell criticizes the act of exclusion, not just the wording of an allegation. This is a substantive defense of attendance.