9/11: Six Years Later
Washington,
DC: Six years after 9/11, the Muslim American community pauses
to solemnly remember and honor the 3,000 Americans who lost
their lives in the ghastly attacks on the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon, says an MPAC press release. It adds:
Each year, Americans turn their eyes to Ground Zero, where
our nation's leaders join the survivors and families of those
killed in the attacks to read aloud the names of all the victims
and to join in periods of silence to mark the exact times
the Twin Towers were hit. 9/11 did indeed change the world
as we know it. As we commemorate those who lost their lives,
we must also take stock of our nation's response to this act
of unprecedented terror and to the implications for the Muslim
American community.
In six years, the Bush administration went to war in Afghanistan
and Iraq, Congress hastily passed the USA PATRIOT Act which
infringed on the civil rights of Americans of all backgrounds,
the CIA conducted a domestic surveillance program jeopardizing
the privacy of all Americans, and the global threat of terrorism
has expanded rather than been contained.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the Bush administration declared
a "war on terrorism" which sought to bring Osama
bin Laden and Al-Qaeda to justice, and led to the 2003 invasion
of Iraq. Al-Qaeda had no presence in Iraq before the US invasion,
but recent reports indicate that Al-Qaeda now uses Iraq as
a base for recruitment. Meanwhile, Congress continues to deliberate
the presence of US troops in Iraq and the mounting loss of
human life.
There are many voices on both sides of the political and religious
spectrum who are calling for a change in our nation's approach
to the global fight against terrorism. Military intervention
and covert intelligence forces cannot be relied upon exclusively
to make us safer. Our policymakers have neglected a crucial
ingredient to enhancing our security inside our borders and
beyond.
While the 9/11 Commission Report "unequivocally exonerated
the Muslim American community from any link with perpetrators
of terrorist attacks", the Muslim American community
has been increasingly stigmatized since 9/11 which undermines
our efforts to create partnerships between them and law enforcement.
Let us not forget that following the attacks, 80,000 Arab
and Muslim immigrants were fingerprinted and registered in
the name of "preventing terrorism". While it is
imperative to make America safer, we must not do so by the
erosion of those civil liberties that make this country great.
The issues of privacy, presumption of innocence, and judicial
oversight of domestic intelligence gathering remain ideals
in the post 9/11 era.
In Congressional testimony he offered this spring, Secretary
of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff stated, "It is
critical that we recognize that American Muslims have been,
and will continue to be, a highly valued part of the fabric
of our Nation. American Muslims have been outspoken in their
opposition to terrorist violence and have been strong contributors
to our country for many generations."
Muslim Americans are all too aware that they play a critical
role in the ideological struggle against terrorism by directly
countering the culture of suicide terrorism. MPAC and the
Muslim American community are committed to working with law
enforcement and decision-makers to make America safer by building
our nation's credibility around the world and partnering with
diverse communities to create inclusion and dialogue.
Founded in 1988, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is an American
institution which informs and shapes public opinion and policy
by serving as a trusted resource to decision makers in government,
media and policy institutions. MPAC is also committed to developing
leaders with the purpose of enhancing the political and civic
participation of Muslim Americans.
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