9/11 Reflection - The importance of Interfaith - September 11th 2010

         I remember the day so vividly. The day the Towers fell. My, how much has changed...

         I remember the questioning and unknowing I felt, as well as the sorrow for the victims who died that day. I remember seeing Afghanistan as a just war, and protesting the Iraq War. I remember telling friends where I was the day the Towers fell.

          I was in my 7th Grade art class. The teacher had the news on; the first tower had already collapsed. Around me was dead silence, interrupted only by the question, "Why?" We eventually learned that it was perpetrated by Al Qaeda, a terrorist organization with the goals of spreading Sharia, destroying Israel, and removing the US from the Middle East.Whenever I remember that day, my mind turns to the victims and their families. To remember, to mourn, and to turn it into action.

       Al Qaeda's greatest tool against the West is the lie that Western countries are at war with Islam, justified through citing the Crusades of old and prejudices against Muslim immigrants and islamophobia in Western nations.

       After 9/11 many United States citizens gave into their base fear and turned on Muslims in their community. Many stood above that fear though, and sought to build bridges between those with different beliefs and cultures.The Interfaith movements are still going on, even though those preaching fear are the people getting publicity, such as the reverend who threatened to burn Qurans and those protesting the creation of mosques.

       It's by both sides who are in conflict defeating their fear and "other"ing of an individual in which true change occurs. It's this that will solve the problems in the end, as the eye for an eye continues on the world scale. Getting there, to that place where there is no longer an "other" between people of different faith or non-faith traditions.

       True change only occurs when both sides remove their fear and stop "other"ing each other. Only through this will the problems end as an eye for an eye leaves the world blind. Getting there, to that place where there is no longer an "other" between people of different beliefs, is the challenge at hand.