The following editorial was originally published September 12, 2001.
Death of innocence
What a loss.
The sense of complacency shared by an American populace crumbled to the ground with the World Trade Center towers Tuesday morning. The terrorist attack on the U.S. shattered the consciousness of a country. After decades of feeling invincible, the U.S. now feels more vulnerable than it ever has.
The feeling that comes with a violation like this one will stay with this country forever because this situation is different than any other Americans have faced.
We have been attacked before, but never like this — never with the strength of this attack, never against a building that serves as a landmark and a major center of the world’s business, and never has by our own devices turned against us.
With this attack, we’ve lost what innocence we had left. The cry of “it can’t happen to us” was abruptly silenced.
The images on television were shocking. The scene looked like footage from countries far from here, where war is a way of life. New York did not look like New York; it looked like a war zone.
Maybe it was.
Students usually preoccupied with their own lives huddled around televisions, transfixed by the images they were seeing on the networks’ coverage and amazed by the news reports of what happened in Washington and New York. In twos and threes, we talked in hushed tones. Cellphones, when they worked, provided a quick contact for friends sharing the news and comforting each other.
Video of a jetliner completely penetrating one of the towers of the World Trade Center will remain in our collective memory as long as we live. We will all remember where we were when we heard the news. This attack will have an impact on our culture on par with the one the Kennedy assassination holds for the generation of our parents or the Pearl Harbor attack for our grandparents.
But, while we mourn the loss of lives and the death of our nationwide innocence, we must also remember to keep our wits about us. Too often, Americans look for a scapegoat without having any real proof.
Islam on Campus has already received threats from some of our more reactionary citizens. Some have already placed blame for this horrible incident squarely on the shoulders of the people of the Middle East.
The fact is, we have no idea who is responsible for this and to pin it on anyone this early is amazingly irresponsible. Making snap judgements on something of this magnitude will only make matters worse.
We must, however, find the people responsible for this and bring them to justice. Tuesday’s events were a declaration of war. It is the job of this government to find out where it came from and to react with swift justice.
It is too early to know for certain where this came from, but when we do know for sure, we must not sit idly by and let this act of terrorism go unchecked. While it is important to not jump to conclusions, we must also act quickly and strongly.
When you remember days like this, you remember skies darker than they really were. The world seems to stop. There are odd moments of time that will stick forever. Maybe this is our “where were you then…” question. And we’re in Florida. We can’t even imagine what Sept. 11, 2001 will be like in the minds of those in New York and our nation’s fractured capital.
God willing, we’ll never have to.
Editor: Trey Csar
Editorial Page Editor: Jason Brown
Editorial Board: Nathan Kozyra and Mark Ward
The following column was originally published September 12, 2001
American Muslims want justice for attacks, shouldn’t be blamed
By Zeeshan Bhatti
I am at a loss for words. Terms such as “horrific,” “barbaric” and “cowardly” have made their rounds through every media outlet imaginable and through the minds of all who have seen even a glimpse of the destruction that took place on Tuesday morning. However, these words are so insignificant and weak.
As a human being and as a Pakistani, I would like to extend my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to all who have been touched by this disaster. I am experiencing many emotions today, horror and shock most saliently, followed by fear and anxiety.
These are dark days for all of us, especially Muslims who must deal with the backlash of an angry nation. Let me proceed by being as forthcoming as possible.
I, just like any American, was appalled by the events of Sept. 11. My best friend was working less than a block away from the towers at the time of the attacks. I could not reach him until Wednesday. My sister, who is a doctor, aided in relief efforts in Washington D.C. Having spoken to my friends and family both here and in Pakistan, I cannot tell you how shocked and outraged we all are.
I understand my religion and country have some stigmas attached to them. But that is all they are. In this short space, all I can say is we are just as moved by this terrible tragedy as any American. None of us would ever wish this upon anyone. Please remember that we are a loving people as well. By some estimates about 1,200 Pakistanis were in the trade towers when they were attacked.
Ascribing the attacks of Tuesday morning to all Muslims is tantamount to one holding the Oklahoma City bombing against all Christians, the acts of Hitler or Neo-Nazis against all white people and so forth. It just does not make sense. I cannot tell you how hurt and disappointed I was to see the video of those few ignorant souls celebrating in the streets of Palestine. Pay no heed to them. This is exactly why ignorance is so dangerous.
I pray for the souls of all those who have so tragically left us, for the health of those who fight for their lives now and for God to give comfort to those who are dealing with such irreversible loss. I have faith that the government of Pakistan will do the right thing and assist the U.S. in all avenues of its search for justice, should elements in that region be identified as the culprits. The government aside, I feel I very well speak for Pakistanis across the country when I say we are hurting just like our American brothers and sisters and will be there for you any time, any place and in any way you may need us.
Zeeshan Bhatti is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Management
