Guest Post by Dr. Abdul-Majeed Azad
Once again the memory of that fateful Black Tuesday is upon us. For those who lost their loved one on September 11, the memory is irascible. For the rest of us who escaped that day’s horror, it is beginning to look – year after year -like yet another day. The compassion that brought us together as it never did before, has all but evaporated. The bonds formed in the aftermath of it have vanquished long since.
Before anyone could fathom – even before the families could properly grieve – reasoning was replaced by revenge and the foresight by blinding fear. God knows how many 1000-kg cave busters were dropped in the ravines of Afghanistan since then, but the perpetrator is still alive and happily engaged in his periodic soliloquy.
Then, there is this wretched engagement called Iraq war, which even after 4-1/2 years of its spectacular launch, still rages with nothing remotely resembling ‘end’ in sight. After the death of nearly 4000 US servicemen, self-expatriation of Iraqis in millions not counting the self-internment of millions more in refugee camps in their own country, a condition unheard of even during the long, ark and tyrant reign of Saddam Hussein), the sustained ethnic killing at the rate of 60 per day on a ‘good normal’ day, and at the modest cost of $18 million per hour, isn’t it divine that only one person on this earth can look himself in the mirror, taste the victory and boast about it?
Sadly, the true lessons of 9/11 have been lost. We lost our innate humanity, compassion and empathy. Its backdrop has been brazenly exploited in shedding more blood, causing greater destruction and spreading more misery– both in Iraq and Afghanistan. The myopia also led to an ever-increasing barrage of anti-Islam rhetoric and anti-Muslim slogans. For me as a Muslim, this anniversary has painful ramifications. Only one benchmark has been successfully achieved: instilling acute fear of Islam, Muslims and now the Arabic language, in the hearts and psyche of the Americans who have been morphed into a herd of depressed and fearful weaklings. Nothing could be more fatal than this fear.
Originally from India, Dr. Abdul-Majeed Azad is an Associate Professor in Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department at University of Toledo.
That’s looking at one side. As I’d posted earlier, it has also made many American people interested in Islam, the Middle East, Muslims and prompted them to learn more about the people and their culture in an open-minded way, even learning Arabic in schools, and interacting with Muslims in the US. Every coin has two sides, and we can choose to look at both sides, or only one side depending on our thinking.
I also want to point out that questioning or criticizing something (like the Taleban) is not hate. Sure, there are people who hate Muslims (just as there are some Muslims who hate anything West/Jews), but to label everyone who asks tough questions as an Islamophobe is not conducive to an open dialog.
The West had a lot of anti-war demonstrators too and a large no. of non-Muslims in the West have come out in opposition to the current US policies in the Middle East, Afghanistan-Pakistan and Central Asia. Does it mean that the characterization of the West by the Islamic world can be termed as “Westophobia”? Atleast there is hope that the current dispensation in the US can be thrown out at the end of its term? What hopes do we have of any such thing in the Islamic world? Again blaming the West for everything wrong in the Islamic world won’t cut ice with many people who ask tough questions about the Islamic countries.
how many deaths are being caused in Iraq today by US forces and how many by Iraqi terrorists ? The US can be blamed for instability in Iraq, but surely the terrorists must be blamed for their activities.
anonymous coward:
By your logic the British should be exonerated of all blame for the death of millions during India-Pakistan partition. Right?
Mohib:
Surely the US has committed a lot of unpardonable blunders in Iraq and Afghanistan. And its equally true that Bush and co. will not be affected by the repercussions, atleast not when he is at the end of his tenure.
But does that mean that only the US needs to be blamed? What about Iraqis themselves? They’ve been killing one another, blowing up civilians and public places. What about the convergence of Muslims from all parts of the world to blow themselves up in Iraq? What about the Gulf states and their role in the situation? Surely they must take some blame for being silent watchers of the mayhem.
What I gather from the media is the collective breast-beating by Muslims blaming everyone but themselves for what’s happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. I see no attempts at some self-inspection on their part. Its easy to blame a third party for all our woes, ain’t it? The only outcome of this has been a ‘victim’ mindset amongst Muslims, real and perceived. How will you even start a dialog with such a mindset!! I see no leadership emerging in Iraq, except tribal leaders who can’t tolerate each other. How much of that can be squarely blamed on the West?
I blame the British partly for partition but also put a large amount of blame on Jinnah, Nehru and Gandhi for being such weak leaders with their own agendas.
Nope. There’s plenty of blame for all – British, Indians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs. Blaming only one or the other is looking only at the partial picture.
Dr. Azad,
I am late to this posting, so I am not sure you will have a chance to read this. I was there on that terriblel day, in New York City, and the aftermath was just unreal. I am not a Christian, but after the second tower collapsed, I went to the church on the corner, and prayed and cried with everyone else who was there. The morgue was across from my apartment, and trucks would bring loads of rubble and dump them; volunteers, including many of my friends, would sift through the rubble looking for body parts of victims, so that they could be identified, and also to give them a proper end of life ceremony. I could not bring myself to do that because I was scared to death that I might see someone I knew. Instead I stood in front of a local hospital, with a list of everyone who was inside; thousands of people would desperately come by, asking if there loved ones had been brought to that hospital. Sadly, my answer in each and every single case was, “No, sorry.”
I did not see any weakness then, nor anybody paralyzed by fear, and I do not see it now. There was only bravery and honor in the responses, and the country has not been morphed into a crowd of depressed and fearful weaklings. Having a useless leader, launching a useless war, does not help matters, and in fact demoralizes people; but depressed and fearful, I think not.
As far as Afghanistan and Iraq – Afghanistan was the right war – not just for Osama – but for the Taliban, and the Al Queda training grounds. And it still must be pursued, relentlessly, until the Taliban is wiped out. Yes, I fully acknowledge that innocents died, and continue to die, in the war in Afghanistan. But I believe that war is a just war, and I support it.
However, on Iraq, I agree with you fully and completely. Saddam was evil, but America’s intervention has been even worse. And while the Shia and Sunni death squads bear their share of blame, the primary load falls on those who thought up and carried out a useless, unjustified war. History, God, and karma will have their judgement on them, though, unfortunately, the dead cannot be brought back.
Chirag,
What if i proved with US own books and scripture (Authenticated) that the second attack and pentagon attack wasn’t from the accused taliban.
please do some google and work around NYC for the facts i m sure u have heard of this website http://www.911truestory.com/ which bush try to shut and it was on news.
i am not great fan of taliban or osama, nor anybody who kills the human specially innocent who are struggling for there existance in this world.
we all know what it was for them (*) to be entering into the gulf to facilitate israel (i am not opponent or hat of israel).
its all about power and honey, and as usual they were got lucky to trick the world. but couldn’t sustained.
Please refere to this website http://www.peacetv.in by zakir naik and listen to his debate and proofs.