Saturday (11) marked 20 years since the devastating terror attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in the US, commonly referred to as “9/11”, a tragedy that cost the lives of close to 3,000 people and injured around 25,000 others.
As the US commemorated the anniversary, US President Joe Biden called for national unity, adding that the darker forces of human nature – fear, anger, resentment, and violence against Muslim Americans, true and faithful followers of a peaceful religion – had bent, but not broken, American unity. He also stated that unity does not mean that all Americans have to believe the same thing, but having a fundamental respect and faith in each other, and in the nation.
It is noteworthy that the sentiments he expressed through his speech gave more emphasis to unity among the people, whereas former US Presidents had emphasised national security and the battle against terrorism/extremism when commemorating the 9/11 attacks. There is a reason why national unity has now become a major concern for the US when it comes to ensuring national security.
The 9/11 attack did not just give birth to increased concerns about the national security of the US, it also caused a rise in Islamophobia, and therefore, the post-9/11 US was decisive for both Muslim and non-Muslim Americans. According to some studies, between 2000 and 2009, hate crimes against Muslims rose by 500%, and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) statistics had claimed that the number of such crimes against Muslims climbed from 28 cases in 2000 to 481 in 2001.
Some programmes, such as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) initiated by the then-US administration led by George W. Bush, which targeted Arabs and Muslims, led to the detention and deportation of thousands. This was due to the belief that the 9/11 attack exposed the vulnerabilities of the US immigration system. In addition, the enactment of the USA Patriot Act of 2001, which is also known as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT), raised concerns among rights groups that claimed that it was used to track activists and monitor online activities of Americans suspected to be involved in terrorist activities.
Whether these measures truly addressed extremist/terrorist risks and the security vulnerabilities the US was dealing with is a complex question to answer. Islamophobia in the country has, however, grown, and the result is a community that lives in fear of persecution, which is quite capable of triggering increasing security threats.
Sri Lanka can relate to the events that followed the 9/11 attack. After the Easter Sunday attack, Sri Lanka also relied heavily on laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 (PTA), and a spate of arrests took place resulting in the arrests of many that were suspected to have been part of the Easter Sunday attack and radicalisation that had been happening for years. It is too early to comment on whether those in charge of national security have achieved satisfactory results as far as curbing terrorism and extremism are concerned; however, Sri Lanka too has seen a surge in Islamophobia, as the country focused merely on the security aspect of the factors that led to the attack.
What we overlooked was the fact that the background that led to the Easter Sunday attack had a great deal to do with religious ideologies. We focused more on de-radicalising religiously radicalised people, predominantly Muslim youths, but paid very little attention to preventing radicalisation. The same way, we paid inadequate attention to restoring ethnic harmony, which, according to terrorism experts who have spoken about the attack, is the true long-term strategy to preventing attacks based on religious and ethnic differences.
Thus, Sri Lanka and the US are seeing very similar situations as far as Islamophobia is concerned – after a terrorist attack, people began seeing all Muslims as their enemies.
Considering the Easter attack, even though it was of a magnitude that could easily damage whatever inter-religious and ethnic bonds we had, the fact that these perceptions persisted is worrying. It also shows that enforcing the law against religious extremists is not enough, and that what should be addressed is extremism.
The US, after 20 years since the 9/11 attack, is not at complete peace, and the leaders of that country are still trying to explain the importance of unity. When looking at the situation in Sri Lanka, we cannot but wonder whether that will be our fate in 20 years after the Easter Sunday attack. The persecution of a particular ethnic group is not what is required; instead, the perpetrators of the attack should be brought to justice, in parallel with efforts to maintain racial and religious harmony.
Islamophobia after 9/11 and Easter Sunday
12 Sep 2021
Islamophobia after 9/11 and Easter Sunday
12 Sep 2021
Saturday (11) marked 20 years since the devastating terror attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in the US, commonly referred to as “9/11”, a tragedy that cost the lives of close to 3,000 people and injured around 25,000 others.
As the US commemorated the anniversary, US President Joe Biden called for national unity, adding that the darker forces of human nature – fear, anger, resentment, and violence against Muslim Americans, true and faithful followers of a peaceful religion – had bent, but not broken, American unity. He also stated that unity does not mean that all Americans have to believe the same thing, but having a fundamental respect and faith in each other, and in the nation.
It is noteworthy that the sentiments he expressed through his speech gave more emphasis to unity among the people, whereas former US Presidents had emphasised national security and the battle against terrorism/extremism when commemorating the 9/11 attacks. There is a reason why national unity has now become a major concern for the US when it comes to ensuring national security.
The 9/11 attack did not just give birth to increased concerns about the national security of the US, it also caused a rise in Islamophobia, and therefore, the post-9/11 US was decisive for both Muslim and non-Muslim Americans. According to some studies, between 2000 and 2009, hate crimes against Muslims rose by 500%, and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) statistics had claimed that the number of such crimes against Muslims climbed from 28 cases in 2000 to 481 in 2001.
Some programmes, such as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) initiated by the then-US administration led by George W. Bush, which targeted Arabs and Muslims, led to the detention and deportation of thousands. This was due to the belief that the 9/11 attack exposed the vulnerabilities of the US immigration system. In addition, the enactment of the USA Patriot Act of 2001, which is also known as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT), raised concerns among rights groups that claimed that it was used to track activists and monitor online activities of Americans suspected to be involved in terrorist activities.
Whether these measures truly addressed extremist/terrorist risks and the security vulnerabilities the US was dealing with is a complex question to answer. Islamophobia in the country has, however, grown, and the result is a community that lives in fear of persecution, which is quite capable of triggering increasing security threats.
Sri Lanka can relate to the events that followed the 9/11 attack. After the Easter Sunday attack, Sri Lanka also relied heavily on laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 (PTA), and a spate of arrests took place resulting in the arrests of many that were suspected to have been part of the Easter Sunday attack and radicalisation that had been happening for years. It is too early to comment on whether those in charge of national security have achieved satisfactory results as far as curbing terrorism and extremism are concerned; however, Sri Lanka too has seen a surge in Islamophobia, as the country focused merely on the security aspect of the factors that led to the attack.
What we overlooked was the fact that the background that led to the Easter Sunday attack had a great deal to do with religious ideologies. We focused more on de-radicalising religiously radicalised people, predominantly Muslim youths, but paid very little attention to preventing radicalisation. The same way, we paid inadequate attention to restoring ethnic harmony, which, according to terrorism experts who have spoken about the attack, is the true long-term strategy to preventing attacks based on religious and ethnic differences.
Thus, Sri Lanka and the US are seeing very similar situations as far as Islamophobia is concerned – after a terrorist attack, people began seeing all Muslims as their enemies.
Considering the Easter attack, even though it was of a magnitude that could easily damage whatever inter-religious and ethnic bonds we had, the fact that these perceptions persisted is worrying. It also shows that enforcing the law against religious extremists is not enough, and that what should be addressed is extremism.
The US, after 20 years since the 9/11 attack, is not at complete peace, and the leaders of that country are still trying to explain the importance of unity. When looking at the situation in Sri Lanka, we cannot but wonder whether that will be our fate in 20 years after the Easter Sunday attack. The persecution of a particular ethnic group is not what is required; instead, the perpetrators of the attack should be brought to justice, in parallel with efforts to maintain racial and religious harmony.
Kapruka
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!
Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!