Sixth anniversary reflections
Reflections on the 6th anniversary of 9/11/2001
by Mazin Qumsiyeh 9/11/2007
At a 9/11 commemorative event today, we were inspired by the "Inter Relations" peace quilt and book as well as words from young people. Right after 9/11, the InterRelations Collaborative had brought together young people from communities across New York City to document their experiences on 9/11. In their own words and images, they produced a remarkable book titled "What Will You Do For Peace? Impact of 9/11 on New York City Youth." One of these young authors has since been killed in a tragic incident (pushed onto an incoming NY Subway train by a deranged person). His name is Curtis Glover and his words in the book haunted us. He had written and spoke of the need for all humans to work together for peace and to better all of humanity. He had spoken of how the older generations had betrayed the younger generation by engaging in violence instead of focusing on addressing the needs and aspirations of all people. The image on the quilt that he had made is of the earth, united with no boundaries. It is the third one down in the left row in the Middle quilt at http://www.inter-relations.org/quilt.htm
I never met this young man until today; meeting him through his drawings and is writing, and hence in his spirit and his determination for peace. This encounter made me reflect on all the people we lost both on 9/11/01 and since then. The only meaningful way to remember is to commit to rededicate our lives for peace. In addition to the victims of September 11, we honor the following human beings when we work for peace:
- About 1 million Iraqis killed since the illegal invasion and occupation of March 2003 (and nearly 2 million in the 12 years before by cruel US/British-led sanctions and wars)
- Nearly 50,000 Afghanis since the occupation
- 4500 Palestinians since 2001
- 3000 Lebanese just in the summer of 2006 (and many more since due to remaining Israeli cluster bombs)
- Nearly 1000 Israelis since 2001
- Nearly 4000 contract security personnel and US military
- 1800 killed in Katrina disaster (most of these were preventable deaths)
- and many more in Africa and Asia and beyond
I also lost many friends and acquaintances in those six years. From Rachel Corrie (March 2003, http://www.rachelcorrie.org/), my father, Ali Hebshi, Damu Smith, Imam Qasim Sherief, and most recently (died 2 weeks ago) 26-year-old Mike Oxley. Let me tell you about our friend Mike. While Mike was no stranger to volunteering (he was already serving on the volunteer fire department), the events of 9/11 only increased his activism and took it in new directions. He became the Wyoming legislative coordinator for Amnesty International and a co-chair of the Wyoming Green Party. He worked for the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and Stand Up For Peace Wyoming. I met him when he volunteered to drive the Wheels of Justice bus tour that brings eyewitness accounts to occupation in Iraq and Palestine (http://justicewheels.org). For more on Mike, visit http://drinkingliberally.org/blog/ (scroll down to story on Mike) and http://www.sufpw.org/
One is tempted to make a political reflections on 9/11 and tempted to review videos that question the official narrative (e.g. see this video already viewed by over 6 million people http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7866929448192753501&q=loose%2Bchange%2B911
and/or look at this website: http://911truth.org/
A part of our heart is also tempted to get angry at the needless loss of lives.
But then we think of what people who passed on would want us to do. I think they would want us to know that life is meaningful when we work to help others, when we work for peace, for justice, and for human rights for all. I think that they would say that to honor us is to guard life as more sacred than anything else so than no life is lost again to wars, occupation, terror, or violence. In other words, recognize our common humanity. I think they would want to tell us that the real message of 9/11 is exactly what was said by Mahatma Gandhi to "be the change you want to see in the world"!
Earlier reflections on 9/11
2004 http://www.qumsiyeh.org/darkseptember/
2001 http://www.cactus48.com/struggle.html
PS September 16, is the 25th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Perhaps you or your local group can organize a vigil or event to commemorate the 2000 victims of this other September tragedy (for info, see http://www.qumsiyeh.org/sabraandshatila/
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