New York before 9/11 was a bustling hub for immigration and the centre of pursing the ‘American Dream’, offering a safe, clean environment open to various walks of life; specifically, the Muslim and Arab demographic that sprung to life in 90s America.
One event would change this comfortable dynamic overnight, creating chaos for the Americans of New York and placing Muslims at the forefront of collateral damage, which might have come across as racism but to others as a valid trauma response after the attacks of September 11th.
Many refer to the American response to 9/11 as the ‘war on terror’ but it is important to paint the picture before delving into the ultimate change in community after the attacks. With America in the hands of George Bush, he is referenced to as a conservative, who followed in his father’s footsteps all the way to the Oval Office. Bush served from 2001 to 2009, with the highlight of his career being his conduction of the American invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
An important figure in this story is David Rockefeller, who suggested the construction of a large office building complex to ‘stimulate urban renewal’ in Lower Manhattan. However, what is not made commonly known to the public is that Rockefeller kept close ties with many political figures such as Saddam Hussein and other controversial figures. Looking back, this may create speculations about the inner workings of the terror attack, yet the world was and continues to be torn up about the truth of the attacks.
Overtime, many speculations and conspiracy theories formed over whether the attack was staged by Bush and his team of powerful figures to provide leeway in their ‘war’ against supposed terror. The war on terror created an uncomfortable environment for Muslims to live in within New York and America as a whole. While others might feel this argument takes away from the hurt and pain felt by personal victims, it is argued that both innocent sides of the story are just as affected. Of course, this leaves the mind imagining and conspiring the possibility of the American government betraying its own people.
The treatment of Muslims in America after 9/11 was a spike in hate crimes, as shown by a graph provided by the 9/11 Museum’s website, suggesting that the number of reported incidents went from less than 100 to almost 600 between 2000 and 2001. Hate crimes were directed towards innocent Muslims, Arab Americans, southeast Asians as well as other people of colour who fell victim to it.
It is easy to point fingers and make claims as to who suffers more, but it is sure that one form of suffering does not warrant another. Innocent lives are affected everyday from the same singular event. Innocent people who wished for the American dream found themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time, much like those who suffered loss on the 9th of September in the year 2001, at the heart of the Big Apple.