The Aftermath of 9/11

September 11th, 2001. A date forever in the minds of people around the country. A day from which America is still feeling the aftermath. When the Twin Towers were struck down by two planes hijacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists, thousands of lives were changed forever. While many of those affected lost loved ones in the disaster, a large community of people was indirectly harmed in the downfall of the towers.

Following 9/11, amidst the heartbreak, healing, and rebuilding, a dangerous few saw this as an opportunity to enact a hatred of their own. The first reported act of this hate occurred in Mesa, Arizona, at a regular Chevron gas station. The only thing different about this Chevron, from the countless others, was the fact that it was run by Balbir Singh Sodhi. Sodhi was a Sikh man who moved to America and opened his gas station with the hopes of providing his family with the American dream. White supremacists, however, had different plans for him and many other Arab, South Asian, and Muslim (AMEMSA) individuals. Frank Roque was one of these men. 4 days after 9/11, Roque attacked and murdered Sodhi and then attempted to murder a Lebanese man and an Afghan family. Sadly, this was not a singular occurrence. That same day, a man killed a Pakistani Muslim in a Dallas convenience store.

While these hateful acts continue today, they peaked following the 9/11 disaster. In 2004, 17 estimated murders of Arab, South Asian, Sikh, and Muslim individuals occurred. Countless others reported harassment, aggravated assault, and other attacks of a similar nature. The number of hate crimes faced by AMEMSA communities is too large to ignore.

Many of these attacks are fueled by the portrayal of Middle Easterners by the news and media. Countless news reports depict the Middle East as a region being compromised by terrorist groups, which they call “Muslim Extremists”. This depiction supports the belief that AMEMSA communities are the enemies of American safety. For this reason, there have been immigration bans on Muslims and continued acceptance of negative stereotypes. Until the narrative of terrorism changes and supremacists are held accountable for their attacks on AMEMSA individuals, there will be a continued rise in hate crimes.