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September 11th: A Day We Will Never Forget
by Annica Bergman
from Sweden
Annica
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I feel anxiety and powerlessness mixed with anger and horror after the attack against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This was an attack against all people who value and want to protect an open democratic society and human rights. This was a blow against the whole world. The World Trade Center in New York was the symbol of the world economy and the free market. Is it possible to understand why this happened or how people can do such a horrible act? My answer is NO, and I will try to give you my perspective on the attack as a Swedish citizen.
We now know that Muslims did the attack, but it is important not to blame all Muslims. I think it is really important to understand that Islam is not about killing and terrorist attacks; it is about something else. We need to understand that Muslims do not always see things the way Christians do.
My understanding from reading about Islam is that Muslims think that it is the people’s obligation to fight against immorality. They must do what they can to stop immoral actions. A Muslim must intervene when something is wrong, something that is against the words of Islam. According to the Koran, everyone has a responsibility to God to make the world into a better place. The Koran forbids suicide and suicide is punished with hell, but if you die in a battle for Islam or die against your will, it does not count like suicide. That shows that you have died because of your love for God; you are a martyr who has made the most extreme sacrifice a person can make, and that guarantees admission into paradise.
I think it is important to know that there are Muslims who think that the United States has done horrible actions against Muslim countries. The president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, says to the American people; “At the same way as yours beautiful skyscrapers was destroyed has ours buildings get destroyed in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq by American weapons. This is your own fault. It is because of your evil politic. God is Big.” Osama bin Laden said, “This attack was a punishment from Allah.” Some groups of Muslims also think that the United States has hurt the Muslims in the Middle East and that they, in any way, can not feel sorry for the American people. This is just a “small” group of Muslims who think that and that is no excuse for doing a terrorist attack. Most Muslims believe the Koran rejects killing and that Islam is a peaceful religion that condemns actions like the attack against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Their opinion is that those who did this are not Muslims. They are terrorists. The Islamic conference, OIC, including 57 Muslim states, condemned the terrorist attack against the US and said that the attack is against Islam. Many Muslims also feel double sadness after the attack. First of all they feel sorry for the people who got killed in the terrorist attack, and secondly they all now are accused by people in someway because they are Muslims.
We know that there were Muslims who did this horrible attack, but that does not mean that Islam is guilty. Remember that you can not blame all Muslims for something that just a “few” people have done or supported. No one accused all Christians just because the Oklahoma bomber, Timothy McVeigh, was Christian. What is the difference? These people have nothing to do with all the hundreds of millions of people who are Muslims. This is probably just a “small” group of fanatics.
The terrorism must be annihilated, but I do not think you can answer terror with terror. It just accelerates the spiral of violence. I and people with me are afraid that it will be a new Vietnam War, or even worse, if the United States wages war against Afghanistan. Russia requests the United States to be careful because of their own bitter experience after years of war against Afghanistan. Is it worth it? That young American boys get killed for this, your brother, boyfriend, best friend may be?
The United States does not need to fight against terrorism alone. Almost every country in the world supports the United States and wants to help, but is war the best way? I am not sure about that, but I am sure that there is no excuse for an attack like the one against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and for terrorism in general. The terrorists’ strategy is clear: the more people that die the better. I think the attack is successful politic for them, but for me a murder is always a murder. This is a new kind of war that all democratic countries must support in some way. Terrorism can never be justified. In the First and the Second World War thousands and thousands of Americans died for Europe. Now it is Europe’s time to help the United States.
The terrorists can crash into buildings, kill innocent people and hijack airplanes, but they can never crush people’s ambition for freedom.
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