Shahana Hanif
Role at the time: New York City Council member giving her own interview response
Statement summary
Hanif opposed efforts to exclude Mamdani from the memorial, arguing that he was being treated differently because of his Muslim identity and invoking Muslim New Yorkers' losses and experiences after September 11.
“being treated differently simply because he is Muslim”
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.
Why we used this label
She directly challenges the exclusion campaign and defends Mamdani's participation; her account of the opponents' motivation is attributed rather than independently established.