In an interview reflecting on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, two mothers who lost their adult children in the World Trade Center discuss the impact of the tragedy and ongoing efforts against hate. Donna Marsh O’Connor, whose daughter Vanessa was pregnant at the time, speaks about her grief over how societal attitudes have changed since then. Talat Hamdani’s son Mohammad Salman Hamdani, an EMT and NYPD cadet who died helping others during the attack, faced posthumous discrimination due to his Muslim faith. She continues to advocate for official recognition of her son as a first responder at the 9/11 memorial site.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, two mothers who lost their children in the World Trade Center tragedy reflect on the impact of that day. Donna Marsh O'Connor mourns the loss of her pregnant daughter, Vanessa Lang Langer, while Talat Hamdani grieves for her son, Mohammad Salman Hamdani, a 23-year-old EMT and NYPD cadet. The mothers discuss how their children's legacies are overshadowed by hate and misinformation in the years since the attack. O'Connor expresses anger at a country she feels has become unrecognizable to her daughter, while Hamdani faced smears against her son due to his Muslim faith after the tragedy. This interview is part of Zeteo's special coverage marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
Written for “September 11 Memorials” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
-
"We still live in a culture that took my daughter, made a mess of the country she left behind, and every single day I want people to know that Vanessa would not recognize this country."
left criticizes societal attitudes as harmful
-
"There was an article in the New York Post which said, with his picture, 'missing or hiding'... trying to paint a picture of him being as a terrorist."
left describes smear campaign against Muslim victim
-
"He went down there to help and made the ultimate sacrifice."
left emphasizes victim's positive actions despite discrimination
Leaning score -0.50 for article 8257 (high confidence, 3 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-12
Note from our Editor-in-Chief: Friday marks 25 years since the horrific attacks on September 11, 2001.
asserted
Friday → mark → September
Twenty-five years after two commercial planes brought New York’s 110-story Twin Towers crashing down, two mothers who lost their adult children in the attack join Mehdi to reflect on their loss, their children’s legacies, and their fight against hate after the attack.
asserted
who → bring → attack
“I remember the 29-year-old woman who was going to change our lives,” says Donna Marsh O’Connor, who lost her pregnant daughter, Vanessa Lang Langer, who worked in the World Trade Center’s South Tower.
asserted
who → remember → Tower
“We still live in a culture that took my daughter, made a mess of the country she left behind, and every single day I want people to know that Vanessa would not recognize this country.”
asserted
Vanessa → live → country
As the dust settled on ground zero after the terrorist attack, grief turned to anger and distrust.
asserted
grief → settle → anger
For Talat Hamdani, mother of 23-year-old EMT and NYPD cadet Mohammad Salman Hamdani, that meant dealing with smears and suspicion against her son because of his Muslim faith.
asserted
that → mean → faith
“There was an article in the New York Post which said, with his picture, ‘missing or hiding’... trying to paint a picture of him being as a terrorist.”
asserted
him → be → terrorist
Hamdani tells Mehdi, “He went down there to help and made the ultimate sacrifice.”
asserted
He → tell → sacrifice
Hamdani has fought to have her son recognized as a first responder at the 9/11 memorial in New York City, a request she says has been repeatedly denied, even by the current mayor.
asserted
she → fight → mayor
Zeteo reached out to the office of Zohran Mamdani on the matter, but has not heard back.
asserted
Zeteo → reach → matter
Watch the full interview above to hear how both mothers, who lived through every parent’s worst nightmare, turned from mourning to fighting and advocacy against hate, bigotry, and Islamophobia.
asserted
who → watch → hate
This video is being shared without a paywall.
asserted
video → share → paywall
If you believe in the work we do and want to see more of it, do consider becoming a paid subscriber.
asserted
we → believe → it
And if you’re not ready for the commitment, then a donation would still go a long way.
asserted
donation → ’re → commitment
