Mamdani Installs Muslim Foot-Washing Station At 9/11 Memorial
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the installation of a Muslim foot-washing station at the base of the 9/11 Memorial in preparation for marking the 25th anniversary of the Islamic terrorist attacks.
Mamdani stated that the addition was long overdue, as Muslims repeatedly lodged complaints about not feeling properly accommodated at the site where thousands perished.
"So far, the 9/11 Memorial has been a total failure, with systemic exclusion built into its very bricks," said Mamdani. "How can you celebrate — I mean, solemnly observe — 9/11 properly without humbly obliging the religion that propagated these attacks? More than anything, what those who lost loved ones on 9/11 want to hear is the beautiful sound of the Muslim call to prayer ringing out over the buried remains of their family. Adding this foot-washing station will allow us to do just that."
In Islamic practice, a person's feet are to be washed before beginning each of the five daily prayers toward Mecca. "With the proper facilities in place, the cries of 'Allahu Akbar' can now ring out across the grounds of the 9/11 Memorial, just as they should," said City Planner Gary Bobolinski. "Now, we do want to acknowledge that some of the families of 9/11 victims did express reservations about the plan. We want to be clear: we have ordered each of those families to attend cultural sensitivity training and threatened them with arrest. Such intolerance has no place here."
At publishing time, Mamdani had also announced that the city would be removing the word "Never" from the sign reading "Never Forget."
Mamdani stated that the addition was long overdue, as Muslims repeatedly lodged complaints about not feeling properly accommodated at the site where thousands perished.
"So far, the 9/11 Memorial has been a total failure, with systemic exclusion built into its very bricks," said Mamdani. "How can you celebrate — I mean, solemnly observe — 9/11 properly without humbly obliging the religion that propagated these attacks? More than anything, what those who lost loved ones on 9/11 want to hear is the beautiful sound of the Muslim call to prayer ringing out over the buried remains of their family. Adding this foot-washing station will allow us to do just that."
In Islamic practice, a person's feet are to be washed before beginning each of the five daily prayers toward Mecca. "With the proper facilities in place, the cries of 'Allahu Akbar' can now ring out across the grounds of the 9/11 Memorial, just as they should," said City Planner Gary Bobolinski. "Now, we do want to acknowledge that some of the families of 9/11 victims did express reservations about the plan. We want to be clear: we have ordered each of those families to attend cultural sensitivity training and threatened them with arrest. Such intolerance has no place here."
At publishing time, Mamdani had also announced that the city would be removing the word "Never" from the sign reading "Never Forget."
70-79, M
