The son of a 9/11 victim has used the 25th anniversary memorial ceremony in New York to urge people to stop using the attacks to spread Islamophobia and hatred.
Michael Massaroli Jr. was among dozens of people who read the names of victims during Friday’s ceremony in Lower Manhattan. He said that people of different races, religions and backgrounds had gathered to remember those who died.
“And this tragedy is just that, it’s a tragedy,” Massaroli said.
He recalled growing up over the past 25 years and seeing people use the attacks to target Muslims and others who did not look like them.
“I’ve had to grow up and spend the past 25 years seeing people use it to hate on our Muslim brothers and sisters, to hate on people who don’t look like them. And that’s wrong and that does no honour to the victims here,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd.
“I want to use the little platform I have to ask for that to please stop,” he added.
Massaroli’s father, Michael Massaroli Sr., was 38 and worked as vice president of operations at brokerage firm Cantor Fitzgerald. He was on the 101st floor of the North Tower when a hijacked plane crashed into the building.
“You do my dad’s legacy and the legacy of all these victims no honour by using this tragedy to spread hate,” Massaroli said.
