Ms. Rachel Praises Mamdani as Backlash Grows Over 9/11 Appearance
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By Andrew Powell (/journals/andrew-powell)
Ms. Rachel is defending New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as controversy grows over whether he should attend Friday's 25th anniversary remembrance ceremony for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. According to Fox News, Rachel Accurso, the children's educator and social media personality known as Ms. Rachel, addressed the issue in an Instagram post shortly before the memorial. She described Mamdani as "awesome" and said he genuinely cares about New Yorkers. "I’ve met him, and he truly cares about New Yorkers. He’s such a kind, gentle soul," Accurso wrote. She also pointed to New York City's pre-K curriculum, saying it teaches children to be kind, respect different religions and cultures, and take pride in their identities. Accurso said adults should set a better example for children rather than allowing disagreements over religion or race to turn into hostility. "It's unacceptable that adults still judge, hate and attack each other because of religion and skin color," she wrote. She also criticized what she characterized as anti-Muslim comments from some Christians, invoking Jesus and the biblical Good Samaritan parable to argue that people should view those outside their own religious communities as neighbors. https://www.instagram.com/p/DdHeOSIB5sd/ Her comments come as Mamdani faces pressure from some 9/11 family members and first responders over his planned appearance at the Ground Zero ceremony. A petition opposing his attendance had collected more than 100,000 signatures by this week. Critics have cited Mamdani's past associations and comments by people in his broader political circle as reasons for their objections. They have also focused on his relationship with chief counsel Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, a Guantanamo detainee who pleaded guilty to war-crime charges connected to al Qaeda plots. Mamdani has nevertheless continued preparations for the anniversary. This week, he announced measures related to the commemoration and honored NYPD officers who died on 9/11 or from illnesses connected to the attacks. The mayor is expected to attend the 25th anniversary memorial despite the calls for him to stay away.