This weekend is a unique one. Today, Muslims are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, Ramadan. Tomorrow, Americans of all faiths will mourn the ninth anniversary of the attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
It seems quite ironic that these two days–arguably the most significant days for Muslims in America and around the world–fall on the same weekend. Clearly, these days are important for different reasons. Ramadan and Eid mark a time of self-sacrifice, community, friendship, and peace for Muslims, while the anniversary of September 11th marks a day of slaughter and the beginning of a trend of fear, suspicion, and division. At a time during which Muslims are celebrating the vitality of their peaceful community, many in America are using Islam’s (distant but exaggerated) connection to the September 11 attacks to cast a shadow of fear and mistrust over the religion and its people.
The fact that this holiday and day of memorial fall on the same weekend–that they are connected and unable to be separated–is symbolic of the relationship between the Muslim community (here and abroad) and post-9/11 America. One cannot be understood without the other.
The occurrence of these two events on the same weekend offers me the perfect opportunity to address many of my recent concerns about America’s response to Islam in the post-9/11 world.
I’ll break up my thoughts into three topics and post them over three days:
PAST: Today, on September 10th, I’ll discuss the U.S. reaction to 9/11 and the steady increase of Islamophobia over the past nine years.
PRESENT: Tomorrow, on September 11th, I’ll discuss this current moment of crisis in the relationship between Islam and post-9/11 America. I’ll specifically make comments about the recent events like the Park 51 controversy, planned Qur’an burning, hate crimes, etc.
FUTURE: On Sunday, September 12th, I’ll talk about the actions that we as individuals and as a country must take in order to reverse this trend of Islamophobia, and I’ll offer a historical example after which we can model our actions now and in the future.
I urge you to share your views as well, or at least give yourself some time to think about these issues.
9/10: Looking at the past nine years
In my International Relations lecture last week, the professor asked my classmates and I to identify the event that first caused us to think about international relations–the event that made us realize there was a bigger world outside our city or country. I, along with over half of the class, responded that September 11, 2001 was this event.
Though we didn’t realize it as 10-year-old fifth graders, the attacks would greatly change the spirit and culture of our country. Before the attacks, Americans were confident about our country’s rising status and power in the world. With the fall of the Soviets 10 years before and a booming economy, it seemed nothing could stand in our way.
On September 11th that changed. It appeared that our way of life was being challenged by a mysterious and hostile entity. The climate of confidence reversed completely, becoming one defined by fear. Suspicion and judgement were tools we were urged by our government to use, or else we’d risk being attacked again. A pall of xenophobia began to descend slowly over our country as foreigners and even citizens of Middle Eastern and South Asian heritage were questioned about their patriotism and motives.
This climate of fear prevented our country from having a much needed national discussion about the key question surrounding the attacks: Why did this happen? If this question had been grappled with–if knowledgeable scholars, journalists, activists, and civilians had been consulted–then the second important question, “What can we do to prevent this from happening again?” might have been answered in a way that didn’t result in two foreign wars that have only increased hostility toward the U.S.
One thing that didn’t change on 9/11 (something that desperately needed to change) was American ignorance, and our tendency to act on that ignorance. Before 9/11 we were unaware the implications of our policy decisions in the Middle East and South Asia, and how often those military and political actions produced feelings of anti-American sentiment in the places we affected. Today is no different; we act without real forethought and with little knowledge. Except today our actions are not driven so much by confidence but by fear, which is a much more dangerous motivator.
Our fear prevents us from learning how to better conduct our foreign policy, but even more problematic is how it affects our daily interactions with and perceptions of our fellow Americans. The fear that stemmed from 9/11 encourages us to continue living in ignorance–to not learn about and not reach out to those who may appear to fit the ethnic or religious profile of a “terrorist”. We cling to our old notions, or ones fed to us by prominent politicians who fear-monger in order to maintain or regain power. The media simultaneously magnifies and mystifies issues surrounding Islam through its 24-hour coverage that somehow still fails to provide in-depth and balanced information. This news coverage only reinforces our incorrect stereotypes.
This ignorance propped up by fear has allowed many Americans to believe that Islam the religion perpetrated 9/11. Many are unable to make the distinction between those who hijacked religion in an attempt to justify a political cause with those who practice that religion in order to serve God and neighbor. Because of their fear, they refuse to take a close look at Islam and subsequently come to false conclusions about this religion of 1.5 billion people.
9/11 offered us an important opportunity for expelling this ignorance and we failed to take advantage of it. Instead we only allowed it to grow quietly and slowly. It wasn’t right after 9/11 that I heard anti-Islamic remarks from acquaintances, received anti-Islamic emails from family friends, and heard broad generalizations and unfair associations spewed by politicians. It was several years down the road that the Islamophobia began to make its way out of the woodwork (at least in my experience.) This trend of American Islamophobia has been rising over the past decade, but it moved quietly, subtly and slowly. Only during the past summer has it exploded into full view, as politicians hope to bring out and harness this fear in order to regain power in the fall elections.
A national discussion about Islam in post-9/11 America has begun, but the dialogue seems to be increasing tensions rather than alleviating them. And sadly this discussion is happening nine years too late.
Also, I’d like to wish “Eid Mubarak” to all of my Muslim friends, especially those here at Georgetown University.
