Iāve only lived in a post 9/11 America so the way people discuss pre 9/11 America is a foreign concept to me.
Itās been 14 years since that tragic day and my thoughts and prayers are with all of those that were impacted by 9/11. Itās important to remember and honor both the victims and the first responders, but itās also important to discuss the way that day has continued to impact us.
From the rise of Islamophobia, nationalism, and ethnocentricsm in both Europe and the United States to our foreign policies that continue to be damaging to the MENA region.
On the 14th anniversary of 9/11 a Sikh man was attacked in Chicago for being percieved as a Muslim. On social media today there are masses of people calling for the extermination of the Muslim population in America.
That day was a tragedy, one which has continously shaped our lives. Itās important to have a discussion about how 9/11 changed the lives of Muslims everywhere. From the many Muslimahs that took off their hijabs for safety due to the 1600% rise in Islamophobic attacks (FBI, 2012) to the many Muslims who felt it was necessary to change their names and/or reject their religion and culture in order to be accepted. Of course, the rise of Islamophobia also gave entrance to the āIslamist boogeymanā in Bosnia and Albania which further fueled genocide denial. Not to mention the amount of mosques that continue to be attacked both in Europe and in the States or how many innocent people continue to die in MENA due to our foreign policy.
All of these must be discussed in a honest way because that tragic day is directly responsible for it and we, as a nation, must hold ourselves responsible for combating hate, racism, nationalism, and Islamophobia.
A country that allows itself to succumb to hate can never be the āhome of the freeā.
May all those impacted by 9/11 rest in peace.
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