September 11, 15 Years Later
This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/september-11-15-years-later_us_57d56bc1e4b0eb9a57b7ad1d
Co-authored with Amanda Quraishi
The events of September 11, 2001 are seared into the hearts and minds of many Americans. Most adults probably remember where they were when they heard about the planes crashing into the Twin Towers and the Towers collapsing. Many of us watch these events replayed on TV with a visceral lump in our throats or knot in our guts. The loss of so many lives, so suddenly and unexpectedly, is a bewildering tragedy that Americans have been trying to make sense of for a decade and a half now. Each year, we memorialize this day to remember these 2,996 individuals and insist that their deaths not be in vain.
American children today have no memory of these events. They probably don’t realize that September 11, 2001 changed us. They’ve grown up in a country that can no longer pretend to be an island unto itself. And we’ve had to scramble to understand where we fit in a global, interconnected, and tumultuous world. The internal and external conversations that we’ve had about our rights, foreign policy, religious freedom, national security and what it means to be a ‘real American’ have at times felt like they were tearing apart the very fabric of our society.
At the same time, the events of September 11, 2001 call on us as Americans to ask ourselves who we are and what kind of world we want to live in. We’ve seen unprecedented coalition-building, interfaith dialogue and organizational leadership all focused on recommitting ourselves to the principles of democracy, inclusion, tolerance, freedom, and solidarity with the marginalized, weak, and vulnerable. Some have said that 9/11 marked the end of our ‘innocence’ as a nation, but perhaps it’s more apt to say that it marked the end of our naivete. It has served as a catalyst for conversations and movements that, in the end, are going to make us better citizens of this country, and better citizens of the world. This may be the best possible outcome of any tragedy of this scale, and we owe much of it to the passion and hard work of social, political and spiritual leaders who have chosen to speak and act for peace, unity and justice over the past fifteen years.
But how do we teach our children about the events of 9/11 in a way that empowers them rather than forces them to relive the terror of that day? Whose responsibility is it to teach younger generations about these events? And what are the lessons we need them to take forward into the future?
In Texas, the state legislature has passed a law requiring K-12 teachers to commemorate 9/11 each year with a moment of silence and to speak about the loss of life that occurred that day. This legislation has almost no parameters or curriculum requirements, which means teachers are required to discuss 9/11 and free to present it in any way they think is appropriate. Not all teachers are equipped to have this conversation, particularly with young children, in a way that teaches rather than terrifies.
The anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric now used by some political actors has created a narrative that demonizes many of our fellow Americans and puts them in a position of vulnerability. Nowhere is this felt more profoundly than by children of religious minority groups including Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism. Bullying of MASA (Muslim, Arab and South Asian) students in schools has been well-documented, but continues to be underreported because many of their families don’t want to subject themselves to further harassment.
Requiring teachers to commemorate 9/11 without providing adequate resources and guidelines is especially concerning because some may choose to share a narrative of 9/11 that associates it with an overly simplistic and problematically represented view of Islam. To only mention Islam briefly, without giving attention to its full and rich diversity, and associate it with violence can confuse children, reinforce stereotypes, and potentially make Muslim students feel marginalized and vulnerable.
Now fifteen years later, we need to think carefully about the narrative we share with our children. Do we want to teach them that we are a nation driven by perpetual fear? A nation that views all ‘others’ with suspicion? A nation that turns on its own people because we cannot separate the actions of a few from the majority of peaceful people within and outside our borders? Instead, let’s teach them that we may not have control of the evils that befall us, but we have a choice in how we respond. Within the tragedy of 9/11, there are inspiring stories of courage, resilience, and compassion. In the hours, days, and months following the terror attacks, there were many first responders, community leaders, and everyday heroes— of diverse ethnicities, cultures, and religions— who worked tirelessly to help those in need, rebuild our communities, and heal our collective wounds. Let’s teach our children that we are a nation that can hold fast to our democratic ideals— of pluralism, freedom and justice — yes, even in the face of terror.
Co-authored with Amanda Quraishi
The events of September 11, 2001 are seared into the hearts and minds of many Americans. Most adults probably remember where they were when they heard about the planes crashing into the Twin Towers and the Towers collapsing. Many of us watch these events replayed on TV with a visceral lump in our throats or knot in our guts. The loss of so many lives, so suddenly and unexpectedly, is a bewildering tragedy that Americans have been trying to make sense of for a decade and a half now. Each year, we memorialize this day to remember these 2,996 individuals and insist that their deaths not be in vain.
American children today have no memory of these events. They probably don’t realize that September 11, 2001 changed us. They’ve grown up in a country that can no longer pretend to be an island unto itself. And we’ve had to scramble to understand where we fit in a global, interconnected, and tumultuous world. The internal and external conversations that we’ve had about our rights, foreign policy, religious freedom, national security and what it means to be a ‘real American’ have at times felt like they were tearing apart the very fabric of our society.
At the same time, the events of September 11, 2001 call on us as Americans to ask ourselves who we are and what kind of world we want to live in. We’ve seen unprecedented coalition-building, interfaith dialogue and organizational leadership all focused on recommitting ourselves to the principles of democracy, inclusion, tolerance, freedom, and solidarity with the marginalized, weak, and vulnerable. Some have said that 9/11 marked the end of our ‘innocence’ as a nation, but perhaps it’s more apt to say that it marked the end of our naivete. It has served as a catalyst for conversations and movements that, in the end, are going to make us better citizens of this country, and better citizens of the world. This may be the best possible outcome of any tragedy of this scale, and we owe much of it to the passion and hard work of social, political and spiritual leaders who have chosen to speak and act for peace, unity and justice over the past fifteen years.
But how do we teach our children about the events of 9/11 in a way that empowers them rather than forces them to relive the terror of that day? Whose responsibility is it to teach younger generations about these events? And what are the lessons we need them to take forward into the future?
In Texas, the state legislature has passed a law requiring K-12 teachers to commemorate 9/11 each year with a moment of silence and to speak about the loss of life that occurred that day. This legislation has almost no parameters or curriculum requirements, which means teachers are required to discuss 9/11 and free to present it in any way they think is appropriate. Not all teachers are equipped to have this conversation, particularly with young children, in a way that teaches rather than terrifies.
The anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric now used by some political actors has created a narrative that demonizes many of our fellow Americans and puts them in a position of vulnerability. Nowhere is this felt more profoundly than by children of religious minority groups including Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism. Bullying of MASA (Muslim, Arab and South Asian) students in schools has been well-documented, but continues to be underreported because many of their families don’t want to subject themselves to further harassment.
Requiring teachers to commemorate 9/11 without providing adequate resources and guidelines is especially concerning because some may choose to share a narrative of 9/11 that associates it with an overly simplistic and problematically represented view of Islam. To only mention Islam briefly, without giving attention to its full and rich diversity, and associate it with violence can confuse children, reinforce stereotypes, and potentially make Muslim students feel marginalized and vulnerable.
Now fifteen years later, we need to think carefully about the narrative we share with our children. Do we want to teach them that we are a nation driven by perpetual fear? A nation that views all ‘others’ with suspicion? A nation that turns on its own people because we cannot separate the actions of a few from the majority of peaceful people within and outside our borders? Instead, let’s teach them that we may not have control of the evils that befall us, but we have a choice in how we respond. Within the tragedy of 9/11, there are inspiring stories of courage, resilience, and compassion. In the hours, days, and months following the terror attacks, there were many first responders, community leaders, and everyday heroes— of diverse ethnicities, cultures, and religions— who worked tirelessly to help those in need, rebuild our communities, and heal our collective wounds. Let’s teach our children that we are a nation that can hold fast to our democratic ideals— of pluralism, freedom and justice — yes, even in the face of terror.
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