It has been almost a decade since that fateful day known the world over simply as 911. The many stories of personal tragedies coming out of 911 may be starting to be vaguely remembered by those not really directly affected by the tragedy. In the face of so many other tragedies that followed the aftermath of 911, that frenzied September day may no longer get the kind of attention or closed scrutiny it used to command.
Alas! many start to forget that day was actually the beginning of the end of something more significant in our worldly affairs - in particular the love-hate relationship between the East and the West, between the Muslims and the Rest of the World.
The immediate repercussion of 911 was felt not on the American soil but half way across the globe in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan where the then recently installed Islamist Taliban was defeated by the US led coalition forces after a short one sided battle to find Osama Ben Laden. Not long after, the dictator Saddam Hussein fell to the advancing coalition army also led by the US on the pretext of destroying the weapon of mass destruction (WMDs) supposedly hidden somewhere in the deserts of Iraq.
Those were the grim reality of the impact of 911. Most of us, me including, were shown the "true" side of the story "life" through CNN or other media as if it was the right thing to do for the injustices done.
Many would agree that the world we live in had never been the same ever since 911. Many would henceforth viewed people of Muslim faith and origin as the perpetrators so as to be avoided at all costs. Muslims were looked upon with disdain and suspicion as if at any moment they would strike and cause untold havoc to their neighbors.
The "War of the Worlds" was replaced with the "Clash of the Civilizations". Muslims versus the West, Muslim versus the Rest of the World. Life was becoming very difficult for those whose looks or names having any tiny resemblance to being Muslims. Even the Arab tourists were forced to flee from the West and make a mass exodus to the East to spend their petrodollars in unheard of vacation spots in the East.
Muslims in the West continue to suffer. Head scarves for the Muslimah were banned in schools and public institutions. Places of worships were closely monitored and sermons were being taped for later evidences. Charitable organizations with suspected linkages to "terror" were forced to close and assets frozen, shutting down critically needed funds for helping the needy the world over. No more fun no more life as Muslims living in the West - only untold sufferings and hatred.
With clouds there is silver lining, despite the grim and gloomy outlook, there bound to be good tidings as God works in very mysterious ways. All is not lost it seems, the deluge of negative publicity on the Muslims had apparently produced an unprecedented demand for copies of the Quran's translations, where it was reportedly fast becoming the most sort after item and became the "best seller" and at times were "sold out" in some major bookstores in the West. There were also a tremendous surge in the searches for "Islam" or "Muslims" in the world wide web - mainly out of curiosity, out of the desires to know "why things happened".
This inquisitiveness has always been the best part of the intellectual West - a quality that will eventually helped them to decipher meanings "in between the lines", which will ultimately led them to the truth and be their savior.
What lesson from 911? No matter how much the truth is to be concealed and distorted, it will one day come out with a shine to find its true place in the hearts of men and women who are sincere and willing to look for an answer.
Alas! many start to forget that day was actually the beginning of the end of something more significant in our worldly affairs - in particular the love-hate relationship between the East and the West, between the Muslims and the Rest of the World.
The immediate repercussion of 911 was felt not on the American soil but half way across the globe in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan where the then recently installed Islamist Taliban was defeated by the US led coalition forces after a short one sided battle to find Osama Ben Laden. Not long after, the dictator Saddam Hussein fell to the advancing coalition army also led by the US on the pretext of destroying the weapon of mass destruction (WMDs) supposedly hidden somewhere in the deserts of Iraq.
Those were the grim reality of the impact of 911. Most of us, me including, were shown the "true" side of the story "life" through CNN or other media as if it was the right thing to do for the injustices done.
Many would agree that the world we live in had never been the same ever since 911. Many would henceforth viewed people of Muslim faith and origin as the perpetrators so as to be avoided at all costs. Muslims were looked upon with disdain and suspicion as if at any moment they would strike and cause untold havoc to their neighbors.
The "War of the Worlds" was replaced with the "Clash of the Civilizations". Muslims versus the West, Muslim versus the Rest of the World. Life was becoming very difficult for those whose looks or names having any tiny resemblance to being Muslims. Even the Arab tourists were forced to flee from the West and make a mass exodus to the East to spend their petrodollars in unheard of vacation spots in the East.
Muslims in the West continue to suffer. Head scarves for the Muslimah were banned in schools and public institutions. Places of worships were closely monitored and sermons were being taped for later evidences. Charitable organizations with suspected linkages to "terror" were forced to close and assets frozen, shutting down critically needed funds for helping the needy the world over. No more fun no more life as Muslims living in the West - only untold sufferings and hatred.
With clouds there is silver lining, despite the grim and gloomy outlook, there bound to be good tidings as God works in very mysterious ways. All is not lost it seems, the deluge of negative publicity on the Muslims had apparently produced an unprecedented demand for copies of the Quran's translations, where it was reportedly fast becoming the most sort after item and became the "best seller" and at times were "sold out" in some major bookstores in the West. There were also a tremendous surge in the searches for "Islam" or "Muslims" in the world wide web - mainly out of curiosity, out of the desires to know "why things happened".
This inquisitiveness has always been the best part of the intellectual West - a quality that will eventually helped them to decipher meanings "in between the lines", which will ultimately led them to the truth and be their savior.
What lesson from 911? No matter how much the truth is to be concealed and distorted, it will one day come out with a shine to find its true place in the hearts of men and women who are sincere and willing to look for an answer.
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