Saying “No!” to Violence, Injustice, and Stereotypes that Demonize, Divide, and Destroy

By: Joyce Dubensky

September 12, 2016

9/11 15 Years Later: Where Are We Now?

Fifteen years later, 9/11 is still a raw memory. It was that day, in 2001, when so much changed—not only for Americans, but for people around the world. It was the moment when the realization began seeping into our collective consciousness that random acts of terrorism were part of our reality and that our way of life would change. So each year, on 9/11, media and memories remind us of that day, and of the billowing flames, destruction, death, and first responders running toward the horror. We remember, and we mourn anew.


Post-9/11, our nation came together to mourn and support one another, but soon the anger and thirst for revenge began to fracture the country. Simultaneously, however, something else was happening. As the litany of challenges facing American Muslims persisted, individuals and institutions, often leaders and communities of faith, emerged as voices for justice and fairness. Across the nation, there are untold examples.

One powerful one was in New York this year. It may not make national headlines, yet it is one among many grassroots movements across the nation that is saying “No!” to violence, injustice, and stereotypes that demonize, divide, and destroy our nation.

Faith Not Fear
came together when an activist religious leader in New York, Rev. Jennifer Compton, reached out to others and asked for solidarity in seeking civility and standing up to the dehumanizing social, political, and public rhetoric that is polluting our country. No one said no. Religious leaders and those who led secular organizations–like my organization, Tanenbaum, which combats religious hate
—came together.

After our first public event, however, the Faith Not Fear focus turned to the fifteenth anniversary of 9/11, in part because of what it might mean. For American Muslims, like the rest of us, 9/11 is a national tragedy. But this year, it threatened to become something more, and for the most incongruous of reasons.

For Muslims, Eid-al-Adha can be the most significant festival of the year. Its date is set based on the first sighting of the moon each year. In observance, many Muslims do not work or go to school—instead, they gather with family, donate to charity, sacrifice, and participate in communal prayers.

This year, however, Muslims in the United States and worldwide and their allies worried that their holiday would fall on 9/11 [1]. And for them, this possibility raised a horrible question. How would the Eid celebrations be interpreted? Would the vociferous voices on social media and even regular media misconstrue their festivities as somehow celebrating the horror that is 9/11?


Faith Not Fear
leaders therefore planned to come together at Middle Collegiate Church to recognize the power of faith to unify, and as allies of the Muslim community, so that their traditional celebration would not be poisoned by disinformation that they were celebrating the horror of 9/11.


As fate would have it, however, when the new moon showed up, the date of the Eid-al-Adha was fixed to September 12. So American Muslims were able to breathe a sigh of relief. And the Faith Not Fear leaders adjusted their focus to the broader challenges being faced daily by Muslims, Sikhs, Southeast Asian communities, and those misidentified as Muslim.

On September 11, 2016, women and men of diverse Christian, Muslim, Sikh, and Jewish traditions came together to speak for their communities and our nation. They spoke of love, and they adopted a Statement of Unity and a call to action:

“We will not stand silently by while our Muslim brothers and sisters are murdered in the streets of our communities, war-torn refugees are turned away, and our proud religious diversity is maligned. We pledge to speak up on behalf of all those being attacked in the land of the free with faith, not fear.”

This is how faith can heal. So to this, let us all say, Amen.

1. The New York Times recently reported that some Muslims, especially in New York, were fearful of reactions to what might be perceived as Muslims celebrating on 9/11.
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