During the 25th anniversary commemorations at Ground Zero, Michael Massaroli Jr. called for an end to the exploitation of the September 11 attacks. Speaking at the National September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan,the son of a victim urged Americans to reject using the tragedy to fuel anti-Muslim sentiment and endless warfare.
A record 8,683 complaints in 2025
A record 8,683 anti-Muslim and anti-Arab complaints were filed in 2025, according to the report. These figures are linked in part to the current administration's immigration enforcement campaigns and its handling of pro-Palestinian activism. This surge in complaints highlights a growing tension between national security rhetoric and the civil rights of minority communities.
The rise in these complaints reflects a broader pattern of suspicion that Massaroli Jr. claims has grown over the last quarter-century. he noted that the anniversary is frequently invoked in campaigns targteing Muslim Americans and those perceived as outsiders to the dominant culture,causing real harm by encouraging hostility toward people with no connection to the attacks.
The political targeting of Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Local political disputes have increasingly utilized the memory of 9/11 to target specific individuals, such as Mayor Zohran Mamdani. as the first Muslim elected to lead the city, Mamdani has faced waves of Islamophobic attacks and criticism from opponents who invoke his faith in contemporary disputes. This phenomenon demonstrates how the tragedy can be repurposed to influence modern political battles, even when the targets have no coonnection to the original events of 2001.
The human cost of Middle East conflicts
Advocacy groups like September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows argue that the anniversary is often used to sustain military conflicts in the Middle East. According to the account of the commemoration , these regional wars have claimed the lives of thousands of American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of people across the region. Co-founder Colleen Kelly and other members of the group have repeatedly condemned how political and media voices use the tragedy to normalize unlawful discrimination and strengthen extremist groups.
Who are the "bad actors" fueling division?
The specific identities of the "bad actors" Massaroli Jr. warned against remain an open question in the report. While he called on those with political influence and public platforms to stop exploiting the anniversary for divisive purposes,he did not name specific politicians or media outlets. It remains unclear whether these actors are operating through formal political campaigns or through more informal social media influence to stoke fear, defend endless wars, and gain political advantage.
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