The changes in law (i.e. indefinite detention), the blatant discrimination, the tension and the unrest - all after effects of the heinous crime.
I was 11 years old, and I saw it all live on tv after school. I never in my wildest of dreams thought it would impact ME and MY life. Allow me to give you some background info :
I, like many others, would go to mosque, after school, (4pm-6pm) to learn to read the quran and write Urdu. My dad was the teacher (Yikes!). I have a lot of fond memories, sadly, I'm not the oppressed lady forced to go...as much as some would like to believe. I was never the really the fully practicing type, I prayed but sporadically and self declared the weekend days off - because we'd always go to my nans.
9/11 brought me back to my faith. I was going through a bad patch and I turned to the Quran and it helped and from then on I fell in love with Islam. After the attacks, my dad was constantly verbally abused outside the mosque he worked, his mosque was even raided at one point. There was heightened sense of paranoia, "who are the newbies coming to mosque?", "Are they undercover officers?" At one point I was afraid to sleep without my hijab, why you ask? Because WHEN (note not if) the police raid our house in the early hours at least I'll have my modesty.
School wasn't too bad oddly enough, it only got tough after the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal. I had 4 boys, who aspired to join the army, constantly bugging me - it was more boring than bullying!
How 9/11 changed my life?
It made me realise that I was not like everyone else. I will NEVER fit into this society or any other 100%. Its not because I don't want to, its because people won't open their minds and see me for who I am. SO many times I hear people I work with say, 'you've the first muslim scarfed girl I get on with' or 'your not the other girls like you', 'I never have thought i'd get on with you'. - here's the thing, I probably am like all the other muslim girls but you never gave them a chance!
Here's what I say to you, if your the guy who leant over and whispered in my ear (while shopping in sainsburys) "bloody muslims" or if your the group of boys who yelled "paki" as I walked by - I pity the fools! (O yeaaaa, had to get Mr-T in!) Because all the young boys did was point out the obvious, yes I am, however Pakistani is the proper term and I don't need reminding, thanks for the effort though :) as for the older gentlemen, well....all the other shoppers heard you, and you just advertised yourself for ignorance. Sorry people but you do more damage to yourself than to me!
9/11 brought out the strength within me, I would never be how I am now if I hadn't had to face so much hostility at such a young age. So to all you bigots and racists, thanks!!
PEACE :)
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