Coverage dated September 5, 2026 to September 8, 2026
Mamdani hands symbolic 9/11 pen to former lawyer of al-Qaeda terrorist: ‘tone deaf’
Headline from New York Post
The 48-year-old Kassem, who founded a legal clinic at CUNY that offers free legal representation to Muslims, also defended Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia who was detained by ICE.
New York Post's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.
The 48-year-old Kassem, who founded a legal clinic at CUNY that offers free legal representation to Muslims, also defended Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia who was detained by ICE.
Mamdani Draws Fire Over 9/11 Ceremony Pen Given to Chief Counsel Who Represented Al Qaeda Terrorist By: Jeff Gorman New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism over an unusually symbolic moment during a City Hall ceremony commemorating the approaching 25th anniversary of the September 11 …
He later represented Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University activist detained by ICE, and was tapped by Mamdani as chief counsel last December. The post Mamdani’s 9/11 Pen Goes to Lawyer for Al Qaeda Operative first appeared on Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion .
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash after a pen used to sign a 9/11 order was handed to a man who once represented an al-Qaeda operative. After signing the order for a September 11, 2001, remembrance ceremony, Mamdani handed the pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and asked her …
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