Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

altmuslim

Home
Muslim
Remembering 9/11 and Sowing the Seeds of Love and Tolerance

Remembering 9/11 and Sowing the Seeds of Love and Tolerance

Last updated on: September 11, 2014 at 11:39 am by Guest Contributor

Remembering 9/11 and Sowing the Seeds of Love and Tolerance 2014-09-11T11:39:04-04:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

9/11 Memorial

By Zainab Chaudry

On the 13th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, our nation remembers the 3,000 lives that were senselessly taken that day.

As we salute the sacrifice of heroes who rushed to rescue and as we empathize with the pain of loved ones who grieve, I can’t help but reflect on the aftermath of the day that forever changed the lives of all Americans — especially the lives of American Muslims like my husband and me.

My husband and I had not yet met when 9/11 happened. But somehow our experiences and recollections are in many ways connected. As first generation Americans born in sprawling metropolises to Pakistani-American parents, we had a healthy appreciation for both the “American” and “Muslim” aspect of our identities.

On that day, I was beginning my first year as a pharmacy student; he was entering his first year of law school. I was sitting in a classroom in Maryland, preparing to take a quiz; he had just disembarked the PATH train at the World Trade Center in Manhattan.

When the impact of the first plane hitting the tower was felt, he was on an escalator. He noticed people running towards the exits. Pandemonium ensued, but no one seemed to know what was going on. He followed the mass of morning commuters and ran outside, helping others along the way.

A few moments later, as the second plane — United Airlines Flight 175 — crashed into the South tower of the World Trade Center, he stared in stunned disbelief at the broken sky above dotted by bodies of people desperately jumping from the tower. My husband describes the surrealism of the moment as being overshadowed by a distinct fear arising from his inner consciousness.

As events unfolded over the course of several hours, the seemingly impenetrable sense of security and self-assuredness we enjoyed evaporated like fresh morning dew on a petal wilting beneath the heat of a hot, summer sun. By this point, it was apparent that this was a terrorist attack, not an accident.

The day felt like a bad dream that would never end.

In our separate lives and in our different ways, Americans struggled to make sense of something that defies reason or logic. It would be days before we realized how drastically the course of our lives had been altered by circumstances beyond our control.

The hijackers’ identities were eventually revealed. As families grieved for their loved ones, and a nation reeled, President George Bush called for calm and unity amidst chaos. He visited a mosque in Washington six days after the attack, where he spoke eloquently against the harassment of Arabs and Muslims and called upon Americans to respect Islam.

Although the President’s words tempered the hatred and fear borne as a result of 9/11, they could not douse the flames of anger and hatred towards Islam and Muslims that swept through the nation.

Reports poured in of backlash against the American Muslim community, and millions of American Muslims became subjected to intense scrutiny. As they struggled to strike a balance between practicing their faith and fearing for their safety, some women removed their Islamic headscarves while other men shaved off their beards.

Neighbors began locking doors. Parents forbade children from attending mosques or MSA (college campus’ Muslim student organizations) events, or participating in any activities that identified them as Muslims.

Like other survivors, American Muslim survivors also struggled to cope with the trauma that they had witnessed. But because they were Muslim, their struggle was an unwelcome intrusion and therefore, endured in private.

Families of Muslim first responders — like Salman Hamdani, who died heroically trying to rescue others — not only suffered the loss of a loved one, but also found themselves ostracized, shunned and even shamed through the grieving process.

The events of 9/11 are a tragedy that has been memorialized in our minds and hearts over the last 13 years. But for American Muslims, who still suffer significant backlash as a consequence of the hijackers’ nationality and professed faith, it is a doubly bitter pill that constantly serves as a reminder that we still have a lot of work to do in educating neighbors and colleagues of the fact that true Islam is indeed a religion of peace.

That day shook the foundation of our existence, forced millions to re-examine their purpose in life, and has come to be a defining point for myself and countless others. It presents a challenge from which we cannot afford to back down.

Terrorists not only hijacked planes and flew them into buildings that fateful day, they also hijacked our nation’s sense of security and the religion of Islam. They robbed Americans of goodwill and left us with fear, anger and suspicion. They destroyed skyscrapers with their hatred and erected in their stead walls of mistrust.

Time heals wounds, but if not cared for properly, they fester and leave scars.

If we wish to heal fully, we must realize that our victory over the enemies who envy our freedoms lies not in sowing the seeds of hatred, but in nurturing seeds of tolerance. It exists not in excluding those who are different from us, but rather in embracing our nation’s diversity as its greatest strength.

Implementing these truths into our daily practice is the single, most noble way we can honor the memory of those whose lives were taken on that tragic September day.

Zainab Chaudry is the Maryland Outreach Manager of the Council on American Islamic Relations. CAIR is the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.

Previous Post

September 8, 2014

Paying Tribute to American Muslim Trailblazer, Tayyibah Taylor

Next Post

September 19, 2014 Hajj 2014 - Call for Submissions and Reflections

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2012 Elections 30 Dayd 30 Writers (2017) 30 Days 30 Writers 30 Days 30 Writers (2015) 30 Days 30 Writers (2016) 30 Days 30 Writers (2018) 30 Days 30 Writers 2017 Ali Asadullah Ali Eteraz Alper Bilgili Arthur Richards Asides Asma Uddin Black History Month Briefings Charles Turner Commentary Cyrus McGoldrick Eman H Aly Fatimah Popal Hajj Hajj and Dhul Hijjah Hesham Hassaballa Hisham Hellyer Ibrahim Abusharif Inas Younis Irfan Yusuf Jalal Baig Junaid Afeef Laila Alawa Laila Alwala Mas'ood Cajee Muqtedar Khan Nakia Jackson Newsmakers Parvez Ahmed Podcasts Rabia Chaudry Rafia Zakaria Ramadan Reviews Safiyyah Ally Saud Inam Shahed Amanullah Svend White The Opinionated Oncologist Visions Wajahat Ali Zahed Amanullah Zahir Janmohamed Zainab Khan

Select a Month November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does 2 Peter say scoffers will say in the last days?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jesus will never return Where is this 'coming' he promised? The world will never end There is no God