Every September 11, America takes a time-out from whatever else is going on to come together and remember the events of that tragic day.
We talk about the people in the buildings, the people on the planes, the first responders, the bystanders, the dogs who bravely searched in vain for survivors in the rubble.
We say never again, and we mean it.
But after September 11, the world had changed for another group of people – Muslims living in the United States.
So, as the day of remembrance passed, Muslims logged onto Twitter to claim their own narrative, using #AfterSeptember11 and #After911 to share how their lives have never been the same.
17. All were meant to pay for the actions of a few.
#AfterSeptember11 Suddenly any act of violence commited by a Muslim became terrorism meanwhile if by a Christian, it'd be mental-illness.
— Indian Stats (@Indian_stats) September 11, 2015
16. Communities should band together, not pull apart, in times of stress.
There’s an Indian restaurant in the town we lived where most of the employees were Sikh. It was absolutely empty for months after the attacks. We went almost every week.
I can’t tolerate the ‘us vs. them’ racist mentality. They may not have been Muslim, but it shouldn’t matter.
— Corey _/) (@coreyblaser) September 12, 2019
15. Most people are good people if you give them a chance.
#afterseptember11 I had a teacher tell my class that if he were president he would "bomb that whole part of the world off the map." I told a friend that bothered me because I had family there. She said "well he didn't mean people like you!" https://t.co/TINvrlJh1l
— Dr. Amanda H. Steinberg (she/her/hers) (@MENALibAHS) September 12, 2019
14. Good people shouldn’t have to answer for evil.
My very good friend at work, muslim woman, who wore the hijab, was told by a man at work that she should be banned from dressing like that after 9/11. I was floored. She was the most wonderful person. The epitome of what a true Muslim should be.
— Lisa (@leprohonlad) September 12, 2019
13. Four. Years. Old.
My birth name was osama . It was changes by my parents to hassan when i was four due to 9/11
— Gaga'sHoe (@Pommy1122) September 12, 2019
12. You never know what path strangers are walking.
#afterseptember11 my grandfather was beaten up on his way to the mosque. They didn't know he'd just lost his daughter on 9/11..
—
(@TheChickenEater) September 11, 2016
11. Violence is never the answer.
I have a friend that got attacked by 4 white men in New York for being a "terrorist". He was almost killed. He is from India.
— Wendy R. Holguin (@wrjones559) September 12, 2019
10. This makes me sick to my stomach.
A Sikh couple & sons ran a gas station/convenience store nearby. For 20 yrs they gave out free school supplies, collected coats/toys for tots donations & ran a Thanksgiving food drive. #afterseptember11 they received so many death threats they boarded up & closed permanently.
— I’veBeenCalledWorse
(@Vanniivy007) September 12, 2019
9. We lost so much more than lives that day.
My father was bullied and harassed by his co-workers to the point where he tried to kill himself. My brother was beaten up at the tender age of 5.
9/11 happened in USA but the impact was felt the world over #afterseptember11 https://t.co/06epPjXQ0p— Maruki Hurakami (@jentyler124) September 12, 2019
8. Imagine having to question your entire worldview as a child.
#after911 I found so much shame in my religion. I had a girl say that we couldnt date because, "in the end youre going to hell for being muslim." Kids my age made terrorist jokes daily and I had to just laugh them off.
After a certain point it takes a toll.
— A Possible Muslim (@Zackaryathe1st) September 11, 2019
7. Be the Alex in your world.
#afterseptember11 Kids on the bus in 7th grade were calling Muslims terrorists & devil worshippers. One hispanic guy named Alex, stood up and told them loudly, “Shut the f** up Hind is on this bus, she is Muslim”. Thank you Alex. https://t.co/LJkS0RP56X
— Hind Fares (@Hind_Faress) September 13, 2019
6. Put a face to the religion and it makes it easier to treat people like humans.
#after911 1/4
I was only 8. Most of the kids in school called me a terrorist & asked me if Bin laden was my uncle. Physically and verbally abused. Not having any friends made it alot harder.
(Hence why I say- if you don't know a Muslim or have a friend that is, u do now follow)
— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) September 12, 2019
5. I wonder where kids are hearing crap like that, hmm?
#after911 a kid in my class asked me if my dad was a terrorist bc he knew my dad was from Iran. I was in 4th grade. And I hit him in the face with a textbook.
— la sirena/da baddest bruja (@ariannamigNASTY) September 12, 2019
4. Those teachers should be ashamed of themselves.
Middle School: classmate of Middle Eastern descent. Sept 13th, gym class. Her clothes and shoes go missing. Only found the shoes after school hanging from an electrical wire with a sign that said "We don't want you here. Go home." Teachers never did anything. #afterseptember11 https://t.co/SWxzq8yLYn
— MaverickMissy (@LilMaverickMiss) September 13, 2019
3. No one should have to “get” it. No one.
I'll never forget working at the U of Mich medical center.. A doctor friend of mine came to me and said "Mark now I know how bad black people have it in America" I said why? he said "Me and my family are getting harassed at the grocery store" He's from India.
— Mark Eric Mallory (@Mark_Mallory) September 12, 2019
2. Friendship means through thick and thin.
My daughter had a Muslim friend at the time 9-11 happened, they were 8. I admit, I didn’t know what to say to the parents to help them, but I told my daughter to be an extra good friend because others might not be. I think she was the only white friend she had for a while.
— Athena M (@mamaAthena75) September 12, 2019
1. I hope he sued them.
I remember my one Muslim colleague crying the day after. He had a very hard time dealing with the fact that someone committed this heinous act in the name of Islam.
A month later he was fired. For being a Muslim.— SuperMarina (@supermarina) September 12, 2019
One thing that shouldn’t have changed after that day was how we treat our fellow Americans – all of them, regardless of race, religion, sex, whatever – so I hope hashtags like this can remind us of what makes us the greatest nation on earth.
Do you have a story to add? We’re all ears in the comments.
The post Muslims Share How 9/11 Changed Their Lives in the United States appeared first on UberFacts.