9-11-2019

Today, I woke up with that oppressed, obligatory feeling that I’m somehow supposed to feel responsible for the events of this day, 2001. I was 8 months pregnant with my first child and getting ready to go on a sales call when I watched the planes hit the towers on WGN. I remember clutching my stomach and feeling enormous guilt and fear about bringing my daughter into this horrific world. I remember that islamophobia was getting BETTER at this time. I immediately prayed, “Please, Allah, do not let the perpetrators be Muslim.” I dreaded the thought.

I got on the phone with my brother, and we both were in shock as we realized that people were killed and there was a plane allegedly headed towards the pentagon. Absolute nightmare. We both basically hugged each other through the phone wires and prayed together– that they were not Muslim perpetrators. And then learned that they were. If you are not a Muslim American, you have no idea what this feels like. I believe you likely don’t care either- most of you. Sorry if that sounds harsh- but I’m 51 now- and I gotta keep it real to look myself in the mirror every day.

The years following this were a nightmare. I watched my right-wing government make up the propaganda phrase “war on terror” as they proceeded to annihilate a majority Muslim country, Iraq. The United States, my country, completely destroyed another country. Left people dead, maimed, homeless, jobless, starving, orphaned, widowed. And the deaths continue. The war on Iraq is not something that has passed behind us. My country has created a system of death in another land.

From the Salon article, The staggering death toll in Iraq: The American public must come to terms with the scale of the violence and chaos we have unleashed, MEDEA BENJAMIN • NICOLAS J.S. DAVIES

MARCH 19, 2018

Just Foreign Policy’s “Iraqi Death Estimator” updated the Lancet study’s estimate by multiplying passively reported deaths compiled by British NGO Iraq Body Count by the same ratio found in 2006. This project was discontinued in September 2011, with its estimate of Iraqi deaths standing at 1.45 million.

Taking ORB’s estimate of 1.033 million killed by June 2007, then applying a variation of Just Foreign Policy’s methodology from July 2007 to the present using revised figures from Iraq Body Count, we estimate that 2.4 million Iraqis have been killed since 2003 as a result of our country’s illegal invasion, with a minimum of 1.5 million and a maximum of 3.4 million.

The United States has its hand in 2.4 million Iraqis killed.

Each life lost to terrorism and war and destruction is devastating. In Islam, taking one life is equal to taking the lives of all of humanity. And the same applies to the saving of a life. On 9-11, people of all walks of life died in the world trade centers, Muslim Americans too. Each life was innocent, killed for pure, unadulterated greed and evil.

There is no question to me – from the vast proofs of these past 18 years, that this crime was not pulled off by a few rogue terrorists who lived in a cave. The fact that many Americans swallow this story causes me deep sadness— not for being blamed, but for the realization that the human mind is so weak, so fragile, it can rationalize the irrational to the point that it is numb to the retaliation of millions of innocent murders overseas in our name. It is numb to the blaming of random Muslims living their lives just like them. Even if you no longer say it out loud, do you secretly blame Islam and Muslims? And truly believe it? If so, you are living a life of delusion that gives you a sense of comfort about the world around you and about your own purity compared to everyone else. It comforts you to think, “Okay, phew! I’m in the “good guy” camp. MY religion is the good one. The other ones are the bad ones.”

What is crazy to me as a human being in this crazy world is observing modern Christendom and seeing how people have literally convinced themselves that anything and everything that a Muslim does —— is because of Islam.  Yet, anything and everything a Christian does —- has nothing to do with Christianity. So many non-Muslims have gaslighted themselves into a sense of purity and innocence while still projecting islamophobic and “othering” sentiment to people like me, Muslim Americans. And never- ever— owning the death and destruction by people and governments of their religion. What is the religion of all of the previous United States presidents?

Hmmmmmm

It ain’t Islam.

They have all claimed to be Christian. These Christians have murdered millions overseas through the years— and somehow, someway—— “terrorism” is still my fault.

This is an obnoxious double-standard that non-Muslims have applied to their own worldview, living full lifespans in a sort of Twilight Zone, self-soothing fantasy world that absolves them of all wrongdoing.

Now— I do not blame individual Christians for the war on Iraq. But the collective, mind-numbing mindset of turning the other cheek and absolving oneself from participating in the human condition is very obvious – and what actually perpetuates the continuous death and destruction.

There is only one reason- well two—- for these deaths: money and power. In order to advance the war industry (and make a lot of money), you need a constant enemy. If there is no enemy, no threat- there is no reason to continue to build missiles and drain U.S. taxpayers of our hard-earned money so that missile makers can become rich, and the elite can drain natural resources of foreign nations. If there were no oil or minerals, lithium, opium to steal— there would be no reason to be in Afghanistan or anywhere else.

9-11 was a terrorist attack on our nation, and then subsequently on Iraq, by a network of evil humans that were from various countries. And these people have no religion. As there is no religion on this planet, at least of the Abrahamic variety, that condones the absolute evil that is today’s modern world.

Today on 9-11, I hurt for the deaths on American soil, but I also hurt for the continuous deaths in Iraq and elsewhere where my country, not in my name, continues to wreak havoc.

I do hurt for the islamophobia, but I have come to terms a long time ago about islamophobia. The islamophobia is on you, non-Muslim. Not on me. Sticks and stones …… My deeds on this planet are between me and Allah swt. If others hate people for my faith and blame Muslims at large for things, sure, I can write articles and partake in activism to help educate and spread love and peace. But at the end of the day, the islamophobes own their islamophobia, not me. I go to bed each night at peace with my Creator. At the end of the day, we each will have to be confronted by God as to how we lived our lives, what our world views were, where we were complacent or actively helping society. And we will have to own our part in the crimes of our lifetime.

May all innocent people who perished from this planet, or are still living yet had their lives stolen from them, be granted the highest heavens in the afterlife. Their sacrifice is never in vain to our Creator. He keeps track of every speck of everything. And the ultimate justice will prevail, for us all, inshaAllah.

About the Author

About the Author: I'm a Writer, Speaker and Muslim Activist. I'm a former Board Member of the #MyJihad Public Education Campaign. Follow my blog at yasminareality.com or follow me on Twitter: @yasmina_reality. I'm also now on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YasminaReality Peace! More from this author.

Tagged With: 9-11, islamphobia, september 11, war on iraq, war on terror