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In
your opinion what were the major effects of 9/11 terror attacks on the world,
especially on Pakistan, and what lessons we Pakistanis should learn from the
horrendous event?
Views must be focused and to the point to avoid unnecessary editing and should not exceed 250 words. No views without the full name and address will be entertained.
Please
send your opinions at
vf@jang.com.pk
Your
Opinion
As
the date September 11th was approaching, I looked back at the last
tumultuous year. Running through my mind over and over again is what I was
doing the night of Monday, September 10, 2001.
It was really a relaxing night. Almost too relaxing……eerie in a
way……..When I woke up Tuesday morning, I had no idea what I was about to see
on television: in just a short hour
my life along with 280 million other Americans was about to change forever.
Freak
accident. Yes, that's what we first thought.
Only to stand corrected minutes later.
How? Why?
In the name of Allah? I
could not believe it. My religion
had been hijacked. All my life, I
in the minds of the ten hijackers. Everything
clearly thought out in their minds, 10 individuals took the peaceful sacraments
of Islam and sabotaged the identity of the Muslim.
And, my identity as well.
Did
you know, Osama bin Laden, that as a result of proving your quest, Afghanistan
would be annihilated? Did you know
that the Taliban would not turn you over and fight till the very end?
Did you know that millions of Afghans would be killed, displaced or stuck
in refugee camps? Did you know that Hamid Karzai would be handpicked by the
U.S. Government to fix this mess? Osama
bin Laden, because of what you've done, the American flag is now hoisted high in
Kabul.
You
must have had a grand plan, Uncle Osama….a five finger special in the form of
instant gratification: Buy puts.
Sink the stock market. Destroy
the Taliban. Pervez Musharraf became
Bush's new best friend. And, how
kind of you…..a sixth bonus: the launching of Ashleigh Banfield's career.
It
was a one in a million chance that such a sophisticated plan would work.
Did these 10 individuals not realize that their acts would decimate the
hard work of the American Muslim? The
American Jihad is going to be tougher for me and my Muslim peers.
We’ve gone not one step forward, but 1,000 steps back.
I now have to be suspicious of my Muslim brother sitting next to me on an
airplane. If my plane crashes, I
firmly believe that my name will not be listed as a passenger.
As
I stood at Ground Zero on the night of October 20, 2001, inhaling the fumes,
observing to the bulldozers and stepping over mounds of dust, a chill ran up my
spine. How will we ever explain to
the bereaved families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks that Islam is a
religion of peace, tranquility and morals if we Muslims do such horrendous acts
against innocent people? This question is pinching my mind mostly.
Jamila
Zafar
Chicago, IL
The
9/11 incident has made unbelievable things believable. The US and Russia, once
bitter foes of each other, have become now friends. China has also sided
with the US. Traditional Muslims countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have
joined their hands with the US.
N Brigu Nagesh
India
The 9/11 deaths are being mourned with sorrow and grief. But the question
is: who will mourn the death of those killed by the US in Afghanistan and Iraq?
Thousands
of innocent people are being killed in occupied Kashmir, Palestine, Bosnia and
Chechnya, and all the countries of the world are noticing these atrocities, but
why are they not raising their voice against this injustice.
I
express grief over the deaths of September 11, but I also feel shock on the
deaths of those who are being daily killed ruthlessly in different parts of the
world.
Ali R
Karachi
I would like to focus on the problems being faced by Pakistani citizens in
America in the wake of 9/11 attacks. I have been in US for about three years and
during this period was never treated on the basis of religion and color.
The
Islam is a religion of peace but is being misused by some elements in Pakistan.
I request Pakistani policy-makers to change the environment of religious
schools by adding new courses like history and social sciences.
Nabil
Aslam
Illinois
The lesson of the 9/11 is: we need to prove ourselves as peacekeepers.
Muhammad
Khurram
Lahore
The 9/11 tragedy has affected all of us in one or another way. The moments of
silences were being observed to mourn only those who killed in this incident.
This all is happening because of the fact that it happened to America.
But
what about those who were killed in America attacks on Iraq, Vietnam, Japan, and
Afghanistan. We should not forget all the Muslims killed in the 9/11 attacks in
USA and even all those Pakistanis and Muslims who died in the tragedy. We
Muslims should unite on a platform to save ourselves, therwise there will be an
end to all of us.
Memona
Sweden
The major effect of 9/11 on Pakistan is that a record scrutiny against
Pakistanis is being conducted worldwide. Being in abroad for a Pakistani has now
become a risk.
By supporting the US war against terrorism, Pakistan hopes that the US and western countries of the world will accord a great respect to it and its people, but the rulers of our country are perhaps not aware that Pakistanis are being humiliated everywhere in the world, increasingly in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on US. Almost every Pakistani is being suspected as a terrorist at all airports of the world and even in the Gulf countries where we have historical relations.
The great unfortunate for us is that our Islamic brothers have put ban on Pakistani visas.
Syed
Asim Javed
Doha
All the respect and honour was accorded to 9/11 victims but not single word of
sympathy was expressed for those innocent people who were killed mercilessly by
the US bombs in Afghanistan.
The question is: who will justify this difference? We Pakistanis, specially our
leaders, must think over this difference.
M
Rafiq Seja
Jeddah
The
world has changed after 9/11 terror attacks. The Muslims all over the world are
now being suspected as the potential terrorists.
The
Muslim world is responsible for controlling those who are behind these attacks.
It is time Muslim world condemned all forms of terrorism, and the governments
should take to task to those who are involved in such type of activities.
Pakistan did right by joining hands with the US against its anti-terrorism war,
but at the same time it should make sure that we don't sale our souls to them.
Kashif
Ghazanfar
New York
A day
of remembrance and a minute of the silence were observed in honour of those
who died in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the
Pentagon. It
is clear now that the western capitalist states only remember the deaths of
their own citizens, ignoring thousands of people killed at their hands. It seems
that they have colonized the human sympathy.
Who will remember thousands of people killed by America when it dropped nuclear
bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945? Who will remember thousands of people
killed in 1991 by the US in the Gulf War? Who will remember the innocent
civilians bombed in Afghanistan? If we stand in silence for all the victims of
capitalism then we may never sit down together again.
Muslims should not blindly follow the practices of the capitalists of the
western countries, but they should come forward to expose the contradictions of
the capitalists’ ideology and their colonialist worldview.
Hizbut
Tahrir
Britain
The major effect of 9/11 carnage on the world is emergence of America as monster
and its effects have compelled the international community to focus on Pakistan
in view of its geographical locations.
Pakistan should learn several lessons from the dreadful attacks of Sept 11.
Firstly, it should make hectic efforts to solve its own problems. Secondly, it
should not bow down to any foreign pressure. Thirdly, it should take
precautionary measures to encounter any untoward threat to its people like the
terror attacks of 9/11.
Muhammad
Karachi
The major lesson to learn from 9/11 attacks is the need to make hectic efforts
to maintain peace in the world. The US and its allied forces attacked
Afghanistan in the pretext of stopping terrorism, killing thousands of innocent
people.
Now
the US is planning to attack Iraq despite the UN and many other countries are
asking US not to act alone. All countries of the world, especially the UN should
take notice of the unjustified acts of the US actions.
Pakistan
should review its foreign policies in view of 9/11 attacks, and it should also
condemn all forms of the terrorism.
Nasar
Mirza
Gujranwala
I was shocked by the dreadful event of 9/11. Fact is that this act of terrorism
should be condemned globally. Let us not forget that Taliban are creation of
Pakistan.
I
think Taliban have served Pakistan’s interest in the past for sort-term. I
urge Pakistan to take peaceful measures.
Sanjeev
Vohra
USA
I think that 9/11 incident highlights the real need for bringing changes in
the leadership of Muslim countries. The
leaders like Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf should never be
allowed to partake in the national politics of Pakistan, as the country needs
right and sincere leadership, more Islamic and less materialistic.
We Muslims are being described as ‘evils of the earth’. This is not due to America, but owing to the acts of our notorious and so-called leaders.
Abdul
Zaman
The major effect of 9/11 as far as Pakistan is concerned is that the country
made a lot of money from the US. The members of the so-called coalition force
against terrorisms have vowed to eliminate terrorism from the world. The General
has become the wonderful of the western world. He is in a winning position.
Dr MK Bajaj
Haryana
If Pakistan had a political government, it would have succumbed to Islamic
solidarity. Thanks to the goodness of the responsible government performing its
job brilliantly.
However,
the effects of 9/11 have not yet come into end and there is possibility that
they may continue for a long time.
Mohammad
Fida
Toronto
The incident of Sept 11 has taken the lives of thousands of innocent civilians
in the US and those in some Muslim countries as well.
It has
also inflicted a colossal loss on the Muslim world in terms of reputation. Those
responsible for this act should be brought to justice.
Mohammad
Azam
azam_sericsson@hotmail.com
All the negative effects of 9/11 will fall on Pakistan. See the conditionsof
visa seekers in Islamabad. The
situation has become so critical that one feels himself or herself like a
prisoner in own country.
Fayyaz
Lahore
Every
country in the world has the right to protect its citizens, and the US is
also doing the same. The dreadful impact of 9/11 on the world is the economic
slowdown with no hope of recovery in the sight.
Pakistan
took a right decision to join the international coalition against
terrorism. We have seen the fate of religious extremists and also learnt the
lesson.
H
Mir
Dallas
The
last year attacks on September 11 changed almost every thing. Friends turned into foes and foes into friends, and a country, which was terrorizing others
on the pretext of being torch bearer of peace around the world, became itself a victim of terrorism
as never.
But, as it is said that every thing happens for a good reason so were the attacks.
If not for the 'attackers' but most truly for the 'attacked'. America found a way out to the problem,
it had been confronting for past few years..."how to infiltrate into South
Asia.." The answer was Afghanistan or more precisely al-Qaeda.
Pakistan played a brilliant role in the US-led war against terrorism, and
got nothing in return for its services in the anti-terrorism war as it was
promised by the US government. Now its time for Pakistan to set its foot down against the "revolving foreign
policies" of America and assert its own identity instead of doing for the bids of
others.
Ammara khan
Lahore
The
catastrophe of September 11 has left severe impacts on the entire globe,
especially on Pakistan in many ways. This incident has proved many theories as
wrong and baseless.
These
effects may reshape the position of mighty regimes in unbeatable economies and
military strength. The friends from different nationalities, faith
communities and race have become doubtful from each other, as faith
among them have been shattered.
The
military and the civil government planners of the world are hypothetically
analyzing causes and effects of the incident, but they have still not sure
that the route they have taken is the solution to their problem.
If
Pakistanis want to develop their country, the opportunity is much bigger than
the side effects. They can, with full internal force, rectify the 9/11 effects
and utilise the national resources in a better way to make the country strong,
but the protection of the rights of humanity is the key to make the world
prosperous and peaceful.
Adeel
Shah
Karachi
The September 11 attacks have cleared the difference between ‘the good and the
evil’. We Pakistanis should formulate best policies, both foreign and
domestic, to bring the country on the road to the social and economic
development.
Ali Khan
Los Angeles
The most visible effect of 9/11 is the rising supremacy of US and its aggressive
intervention in the Asian and the Middle East politics.
Apart from achieving strong political benefits, the US has also got the huge
economic benefits from countries of these regions. One of the major benefits the
US has been gaining is its easy access to the oil reserves of Arab countries.
The
hostile effect of 9/11 is the humiliation of Muslims all over the world. The
lesson we Pakistanis should learn from 9/11 is:
‘lets choose our real friends’.
Faheem Shahid
Melbourne
The effects of 9/11 are too severe, as they have changed the foreign policies of
almost all countries of the world. The Pakistan government should learn
two lessons from these effects.
The lesson number one is: the US has always turned a deaf ear to our needs and will continue to do so. So, the gentlemen of our country should adopt their own ways.
The lesson number two is: our nukes are precious assets, so these should be used for economical benefits and peaceful purposes.
Abid Siddiqi
Multan
All the Muslims across the world should take the notice of US President George W
Bush’s stand against Iraq. Fact is that the US should attack Israel rather
than Iraq, as it has been killing innocent Palestinians over the many years.
Israel
has used exceptionally brutal forces to
repress and terrorise the
innocent Palestinians and Muslims throughout the world.
Israel
has also developed the weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear,
biological and chemical arms, which can incinerate whole world.
The
need is that Muslims should join their hands with each other to save themselves
from the nefarious designs of the US.
Doctor
M Naeem
Faisalabad
The
US has been terrorising Muslim states all over the world. So, Pakistanis should
recognize their existence, fight for solution
to their problems and change their foreign policy.
We Pakistanis should discourage religious fanaticism and terrorism in the
country. We should also make hectic efforts to restore the real and stable
democracy in Pakistan.
NM
Abbasi
Lusaka
I am a
US citizen and feel that Pakistan has been 'brave' to work with the US in its
war against global terrorism after 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and
the Pentagon.
I pray
that Allah Almighty may grant courage to Pakistanis for continuing their efforts
against terrorism, religious extremism and bigotry in the country and round the
world.
Mary
Bukhari
United States
I
am an American and believe Pakistanis are peace-loving citizens and very good
people as they proved being with the US government in its war against terror.
Wisconsin
USA
Muslims should not forget American nuclear bomb attacks on Japan, which killed
more than 40,000 people ruthlessly. We should also remember the people including
innocent children perished in American attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hizbut
Tahrir
Britain