September 11: The Day Extremist Islamic Terrorism Targeted America and Changed the World
Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the name of this day remains a reminder of one of the deadliest terrorist operations in contemporary history; a day when 19 members of the al-Qaeda network hijacked four passenger airplanes and transformed them into weapons to kill innocent people. In these attacks, 2,977 people died and thousands more were wounded; a tragedy that changed not only America, but world security and politics for decades to come.
On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, four passenger airplanes en route from the eastern shores of America to California were hijacked by 19 terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda. Two airplanes intentionally collided with the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, and both buildings collapsed after widespread fires. A third airplane hit the Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, and the fourth airplane, Flight 93, crashed in Pennsylvania after resistance from passengers and crew members.
In total, 2,977 people were killed in these attacks; American citizens and nationals of various countries, many of whom were at work, inside airplanes, or on rescue and aid missions. Among the victims were firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, and emergency service personnel. The National September 11 Memorial honors the name of each and every one of these victims.
These attacks were not an operation by ordinary Muslims or a representative action of the Muslim community. The perpetrators were members of the extremist Islamic network al-Qaeda; an organization founded by “Osama bin Laden” that used violence and terrorism to advance its extremist goals. The FBI has identified bin Laden as a terrorist and mass murderer, and states that he played a role in designing multiple attacks in various countries that sent thousands of innocent men, women, and children to their deaths.
The significance of September 11 is not limited to the number of its victims. These attacks demonstrated that a terrorist group can use fear and the killing of civilians as a political and ideological tool. The goal of terrorism is not merely to kill direct victims; it is to create terror among millions of people and to convey the impression that no one is safe anywhere.
From this perspective, September 11 is part of a longer history of extremist Islamic terrorism; a trend that later continued in the form of groups such as ISIS, al-Shabaab, and other jihadist organizations in various parts of the world through violence against civilians, religious minorities, and their opponents. Some of these groups have even targeted other Muslims for opposing their ideology. Reports by the U.S. government have also documented multiple instances of attacks by armed Islamist groups against Christians and other religious communities.
Al-Qaeda’s goal was not merely to instill terror and convert Americans through fear. This group’s ideology encompassed a set of extreme political and religious objectives, and it considered America’s presence and influence in the Middle East to be one of its principal enemies. Therefore, extremist Islamic terrorism should be understood more as an attempt to impose an extreme and violence-oriented interpretation of Islam and to achieve political goals through intimidation and killing, rather than attributing it to Muslims in general.
One controversial image related to September 11 involves videos of some Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank who celebrated in the streets on that very day. These images received widespread coverage in American media and were deeply shocking to many Americans still in the shock of the attacks.
However, these images should not be attributed to “Palestinians” as a nation or community. Although the existence of such scenes on that day is documented, the behavior of a group of individuals cannot be generalized to all Palestinians. Moreover, there is no valid basis to claim, based on these images, that all or a majority of Muslims or Palestinians were pleased by the deaths of Americans.
What is defensible and important is to condemn any joy or support for the killing of civilians; regardless of whether the victim is American, Israeli, Palestinian, Christian, Jewish, or Muslim. From a Christian perspective, the victims of September 11 should not be forgotten.
For a Christian media outlet, commemorating September 11 is not merely recounting a political event. This day is a reminder of the value of human life and the danger of turning a human being into an “enemy” simply because of their nationality, religion, or beliefs.
Christian faith cannot regard the killing of innocent people as a means to achieve a political or religious goal. Christianity emphasizes the sanctity of human life and love for one’s neighbor, and therefore, terrorism, the killing of civilians, and the creation of terror cannot be acceptable tools for promoting any religion.
At the same time, condemning extremist Islamic terrorism should not turn into hatred toward ordinary Muslims. Millions of Muslims around the world have themselves been victims of terrorist groups, and many Muslims have stood against extremism. The issue is extreme ideology and violence-seeking, not the identity of individual Muslims.
September 11, twenty-five years later, remains a historical warning: when an ideology identifies innocent people as enemies and deems their killing justified, the result can be a tragedy on a global scale. Terrorism succeeds when fear takes the place of truth, hatred replaces compassion, and dehumanization takes the place of respect for human life.
And perhaps the most important message of this day is this: 2,977 people were killed; not because they were on a battlefield, but solely because terrorists decided to use the lives of innocent people as a means to advance their goals. Their names and lives should not be forgotten in the noise of politics and ideology.
Author: M.R
