In Our View: Never forget to share lessons of 9/11 attacks
The ColumbianSep 11, 2022
On Sun., Americans commemorated the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which reconfigured US national security and marked the beginning of the US "war on terror."
On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda extremists - led by Osama Bin Laden - hijacked four planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3k people were killed and thousands injured.
It's impossible to deny or forget the impact of 9/11 and the feeling of terror and sorrow experienced. Yet, with roughly 30% of the US population now younger than 21, the memories for each generation will be very different and the events of that day must continue to be passed on to ensure future decision-makers have an understanding of what happened.
21 years after 9/11, Muslims still face widespread Islamophobia in the US and the West. As all Americans, including Muslims, mark the anniversary of the attacks, we must fight off the spike in anti-Islam sentiment and rather remember who the real enemies and terrorists are.
Today, roughly 41% of Americans believe the country is less safe than it was 21 years ago, a concerning increase from the 27% in 2003. With Afghanistan still under the control of the Taliban - with help from al-Qaeda - much more must be done by the US to commit to the fight against terrorism and to make sure an event like 9/11 never happens again.