The attacks on September 11, 2001 has impacted American culture and ideals forever. Four commercial airplanes hijacked by Muslim radicalists from a terrorist group known as al- Qaeda two of which crashed into the world trade center. Another plane crashing into an open field from passengers trying to subdue the hijackers. The fourth crashing into the pentagon. Leaving a footprint, every year on this day American’s pay their respect to those who have fallen in this tragedy with a moment of silence. The event snowballed into a much greater impact and a controversial invasion of Iraq and later led to a “war on terror” symbolised by Guantanamo Bay and the justification of torture. This is all complemented with discriminatory backlash, since the attacks Arabs, Muslims, and South-Asian Americans have been victims of threats, vandalism, arson, and murder in the United States.
The American culture has a reputation for pointing fingers wrongfully, repeating history. Take World War 2 for example, after the attacks on Pearl Harbor the United States created concentration camps to incarcerate nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans. Camps may not have been built after 9/11 but fingers were pointed to innocent civilians that fit the middle eastern ethnic group who became victims of physical, verbal, and mental violence. Anyone that looked middle eastern were publicly humiliated and felt as if they caused the terror attacks. Constantly being harassed by others shouting racial comments and threats to them. If that wasn’t enough, it has even gone further to murders. But, this was all just the beginning and the first steps that began to mold the American culture after 9/11.
After the attacks on 9/11 the Arab communities have witnessed backlash like no other. According to Shyrock and Howell, “The Arab community of Detroit had finally entered the cultural mainstream producing U.S. senators, union bosses, and captains of industry is likely to be dismissed today as wishful thinking.” (67) Before the attacks of 9/11 Detroit was viewed as “the capital of Arab America” but that image has changed since, Detroit was home to nearly 200,000 Arab Americans. Shryock and Howell continued to say, “After 9/11 non-Arabs began to use terms like ‘you people’ when talking to Arab neighbors, relatives, and friends.” (67) Changes began to happen to those in their own community. The aftermath of 9/11 led Arab Americans having been accused time and again, to apologize for acts they did not commit, to condemn acts they never condoned, and to openly profess loyalties that, for most U.S. citizens are merely assumed.
The invasion in Iraq which began the War on Terror is quite a controversial one. Some urging for it in order to get revenge, while others disagree who seem to have a bit more knowledge than others. Sunaina interviews Farida, an Arab American women who commented on the rationale for the U.S. war on Afghanistan as retribution for the attacks on 9/11 in which she claims, “9/11 was horrible, but do two wrongs make a right? I didn’t think that they really needed to randomly bomb civlians and I thought it was so stupid that they’d send care packages right after bombing [Afghanistan]!” (166) By Farida’s statement it is made clear that the U.S. has split the American culture into two, those who want war and revenge and those who just want justice. This brings up the culture of humanitarianism as well, killing innocent civilians and apologizing with care packages for survivors doesn't seem to sit well with most.
The war in Afghanistan is the longest war in U.S. history and is currently going on today. This war has shaped American culture tremendously, doing whatever it takes to defend their liberties. According to Godges, “Americans will defend their liberties, they are ferocious when angered and keen to rise up when thrown on the defensive. And despite the instances of prisoner abuse and torture that have sullied America’s honor since 9/11, the American people remain determined to behave virtuously: No cities were leveled after 9/11.” (8) American culture has been affected by this but can sometimes be overlooked, the U.S. has soiled its name by allowing torture in their prisions. The most infamous incidents being from Guantanamo Bay where inmates that were already punished and due to serve time were being further tortured in countless ways. Till this day the U.S. denies any allegations of torture simply due to the fact that it is banned in the U.S. and internationally.
According to Goges, “The impact on American policy was correspondingly dramatic and long lasting. The immediate impulse was to identify and make pay those who were responsible for the assault.” (15) This ultimately led the U.S. to torture those who seemed to raise suspicion. Although in the U.S. it is not considered torture but instead “enhanced interrogation techniques” or “enhanced interrogation” which is just a euphemism for cruel and inhumane torture. Inmates or citizens detained by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) were subjected to enhanced interrogation. The methods of enhanced interrogation included beating, binding in contorted stress positions, hooding, subjection to deafening noise, sleep deprivation, starvation, waterboarding, and so much more. That was just a scratch off the surface as well. The most controversial form of enhanced interrogation were threats to harm children and sexually abuse or harm their loved ones as well. Enhanced interrogation was banned on July 20, 2007, which is nearly six years after this all began. All the information has been floating around since the start but the American culture seemed to stay silent for an extended amount of time until fingers began pointing at the U.S. from the United Nations.
Suspicion kept rising and this led to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) being created which its sole purpose is to protect the territory of the United States from terrorist attacks and respond to natural disasters. The DHS would release statements such as 'be vigilant, take notice of your surroundings, and report suspicious items or activities to local authorities immediately.' This brings up the subject of surveillance, according to Sunaina, “Technologies to regulate ‘radical’ Muslim Americans and repress ‘extremist’ Muslim and Arab American youth and enemy subjects, within and outside the U.S, are used by the national and global security apparatus as part of an expanding culture of surveillance and securitization.” (194) Sunaina is trying to express that Muslims and Arab Americans are being targeted and labeled as “radicals” or “extremeists” who are constantly under monitorization. Innocent civilians who appear to be middle eastern are now victims of injustice and unfair treatment from their own government.
Surveillance has created a new culture for those growing up post 9/11, the government engaging in warrantless wiretapping, monitoring private texts and emails, and even monitoring purchases. Sunaina had interviewed a former student named Laila who had attended an Islamic school in Fremont, which received threats after 9/11 and where most faculty were middle eastern. During the interview Laila recalled discussing the war in Iraq during class, “The teacher yelled at us and said, ‘Don't discuss it! Especially in school because it’s not safe.’... Like, they really prevented us from discussing it. I don't know if this is true but we’ve made jokes that it’s because our mosque was taped.” (197) This proves the effect the event has caused on American culture by drowning out the voices of those who were affected by it. Afraid from speaking on territory which is supposed to be considered safe. It seemed to grim to be true so it was overlooked with a jokeful manner.