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New York Belediye Başkanı: 11 Eylül Zehirli Hava Gerçeği Saklandı

Özet · AI üretimi

New York Belediye Başkanı Zohran Mamdani, 11 Eylül saldırılarının 25. yıldönümü öncesinde, saldırılar sonrası hava toksisitesiyle ilgili şehrin bildiklerini tam olarak açıklamadığını gösteren on binlerce belgeyi yayımladı. Salı günü yapılan açıklamada, belgelerin kentin hava kalitesi hakkında sahip olduğu bilgileri sakladığını ortaya koyduğu belirtildi. 2001'deki saldırılarda çoğu İkiz Kuleler'in çökmesi sonucu 2.977 kişi hayatını kaybetmişti. Açıklamada ayrıca saldırılarla bağlantılı hastalıklar nedeniyle 9.400'den fazla kişinin yaşamını yitirdiği bilgisi yer aldı. Mamdani, dönemin New York yöneticilerinin hava toksisitesi konusunda yalan söylediğini ifade etti. Bu belgelerin yayımlanması, 11 Eylül sonrası bölgede çalışan, yaşayan ve kurtarma çalışmalarına katılanların sağlık sorunları ve sorumluluk tartışmalarını yeniden gündeme taşıyor.

Başlangıç 08 Eyl 17:47 22 olay Güncellendi 11 Eyl
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en güncel: 11 Eyl
  1. Güvenlik08 Eyl 17:47

    New York leaders ‘lied’ about toxic air after 9/11, Mayor Zohran Mamdani says

    New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday the release of tens of thousands of documents showing the city did not disclose all it knew about air toxicity after September 11. The release comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks in 2001 that killed 2,977 people, in the US, mostly in the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York. More than 9,400 have died from illnesses linked to their exposure to the area in the years since, according to a federal medical monitoring...

  2. Güvenlik08 Eyl 18:16

    New York failed to disclose what it knew of toxic air after 9/11: Mamdani

    New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday the release of tens of thousands of documents showing that the city did not disclose everything it knew about air toxicity after 9/11. The release comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed 2,977 people in the United States, mostly from the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York. More than 9,400 have died from illnesses linked to their exposure to the area in the years since, according to a federal medical monitoring program. Thousands of people have suffered health problems, including cancer, as a result of the terrorist attacks, with many dying after inhaling hazardous contaminants released by the collapse of the buildings, according to the BBC. “These are documents that show what the city knew about the toxic air around Ground Zero, when they knew it, and how they acted to limit liability,” the mayor told a news conference following the online release of 170,000 pages of documents on health concerns, air quality and the city’s response to the attacks. The release is part of an agreement with 9/11 Health Watch, a victims’ advocacy group that had sued the city to obtain the documents. The BBC reported that city officials found 68 boxes of the documents last year. Officials had previously said they did not have them. “For 25 years, four different Mayoral administrations kept from the public, the US Congress, and the City Council documents showing what the city actually knew about the danger of the toxic chemicals in Lower Manhattan and Western Brooklyn after the World Trade Center collapse, even as city officials continued messaging to the public that the air was ‘safe and acceptable’,” the group’s director Benjamin Chevat said in a statement. When asked about the names of officials who had withheld information from the public, Mamdani said: “This goes across a multitude of those that New Yorkers have trusted.” “Administration after administration has ignored those calling for answers and clarity,” BBC quoted Mamdani as saying, as he stood next to television host and 9/11 survivor advocate Jon Stewart. “We will do no such thing.” The documents include an October 2001 file known as the “Harding Memo”, in which an aide warned former Deputy Mayor Robert Harding — serving under Mayor Rudy Giuliani — that the city could face as many as 35,000 legal claims for its response to the attacks, BBC reported. The document states that the city could be sued because health advisories had caused individuals “to return to the area too soon (causing toxic exposure or emotional harm)”, the BBC reported, quoting the document. Two weeks ago, a US Air Force judge ordered Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, and three co-defendants to go on trial before a military tribunal in June 2028. Khalid remains the most well-known inmate at the Guantanamo detention facility, which was set up in 2002 by then-US president George W. Bush to house foreign terrorist suspects following the September 11, 2001 attacks. He is accused of orchestrating the plot to fly hijacked passenger jetliners into the World Trade Center in New York City and into the Pentagon.

  3. Güvenlik09 Eyl 01:44

    Key post-9/11 air toxicity information was kept secret for 25 years

    New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani released tens of thousands of previously undisclosed documents on Tuesday detailing what city officials knew about toxic air after the September 11 attacks, as the 25th anniversary approaches and thousands continue to suffer from related illnesses.

  4. Güvenlik09 Eyl 07:51

    Mamdani unveils $34 million plan to release 9/11 records as files detail toxic air concerns

    New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a more than $34 million initiative to create a public portal containing hundreds of thousands of pages of records documenting the city’s response to the September 11, 2001, attacks.

  5. Güvenlik09 Eyl 15:30

    NY failed to disclose what it knew on 'toxic air' after 9/11

    New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday the release of tens of thousands of documents showing the city did not disclose all it knew about air toxicity after 9/11. The release comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks that killed 2,977 people in the United States, mostly in the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York. In the years since, more than 9,400 have died from illnesses linked to their exposure to the area, according to a federal medical monitoring program.

  6. Diplomatik11 Eyl 00:00

    25th commemoration of September 11

    Today marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, which claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people in the United States and from countries around the world.On this solemn day, we remember the 2,977 people killed in New York, Washington DC and in Pennsylvania, including 10 Australians whose lives were tragically cut short far from home.We acknowledge the grief carried by their loved ones. We also honour the courage and selflessness shown in the face of unimaginable horror.

  7. Güvenlik11 Eyl 02:30

    25 years ago, America faces ‘darkest hour’ as 9/11 terror attacks unfold – SCMP archive

    This article was first published on September 12, 2001. America’s nightmare by Greg Torode in Washington President George W. Bush this morning (September 12, 2001) told the United States that thousands had lost their lives after two hijacked airliners destroyed New York’s World Trade Centre and another smashed into the Pentagon in the most brutal terrorist attacks in the nation’s history. Mr Bush, in a televised address to the nation, condemned the “despicable” attacks, saying: “These acts...

  8. Diplomatik11 Eyl 10:44

    New York marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

    NEW York, United States – New York commemorates the 25th anniversary of the devastating September 11, 2001 attacks Friday with a ceremony marked by US President Donald Trump’s absence and right-wing outrage at the attendance of the city’s first Muslim mayor. Trump will pay his respects at the Pentagon, not New York, where hijacked planes destroyed

  9. Güvenlik11 Eyl 05:16

    On 25th anniversary of 9/11, New York remembers victims poisoned by debris

    On the 25th anniversary of the 11 September attacks on the World Trade Center, the official 9/11 ceremony in New York will for the first time include a moment of silence dedicated to the thousands who have since died from illnesses linked to their exposure to pollution released when the Twin Towers fell.

  10. Güvenlik11 Eyl 05:37

    25 years on, 9/11 continues to cast a long shadow over the US

    Alongside the thousands of Americans killed on 9/11, dozens of Europeans lost their lives that day — and 25 years on, some of the people accused of being behind the attacks have still not faced justice.

  11. Güvenlik11 Eyl 08:00

    Remembrance ceremonies to be held across the US to honor victims of 9/11

    Memorials and remembrances will mark the 25 years since the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 on 11 September 2001 The United States is marking the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on Friday, with memorials and remembrance ceremonies taking place across the country to honor the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks. In New York City, the national September 11 memorial and museum will hold its annual commemoration ceremony, with the families of victims gathering at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza and reading aloud the names of those killed in the 9/11 attacks and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Continue reading...

  12. Güvenlik11 Eyl 09:00

    On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a divided U.S. gathers to remember and grieve

    The U.S. marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Events will honor those lost, at a time when Americans are divided about the meaning and legacy of the terrorist attacks.

  13. Güvenlik11 Eyl 09:13

    Keeping the memory of 9/11 alive for the younger generation

    On 11 September 2001, millions remember how they saw the World Trade Centre towers being struck by airplanes. But, 25 years after the attacks, how is the memory being passed on to the younger generation who were not around to witness them?

  14. Güvenlik11 Eyl 10:15

    Nation pauses to remember September 11 on 25th anniversary | First Thing

    Commemoration ceremonies to be held around the world for the nearly 3,000 killed in 2001 terror attack on US. Plus, JD Vance sets out his stall as heir to Donald Trump Good morning. It is a sombre day for the nation as people gather to mourn and remember the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks on September 11 2001, when 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized control of four airliners, slamming two of the planes into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the fourth into a field in western Pennsylvania. We have comprehensive coverage of the anniversary, which will be marked by ceremonies around the world. There are stories of the day from people who were there. Stanley Praimnath and Brian Clark were two of only four individuals known to have survived above the impact zone in the south tower, and they spoke to our Washington bureau chief David Smith. Anna Sweeney Rossman was five when her mother, Amy Sweeney, a flight attendant, was killed onboard American Airlines flight 11, and she spoke to Ramon Antonio Vargas about how the events of that day have cast a shadow on her life. Donald Trump’s promise of a $5,000 “Trump dividend” for every US citizen if Republicans retain control of the US Congress in November’s midterm elections has sparked incredulity and accusations of bribery. With his approval rating at a historic low, Trump brought down the curtain on the Republicans’ first ever midterm convention by pleading with supporters to do him “the biggest favor” and “pretend” they are voting for him in November’s US elections. JD Vance, meanwhile, made a clear pitch that he should be the heir to Trump with a blistering speech that featured exaggerated claims of success, criticism of the Democrats as “lunatics” and an aggressive dismissal of a protester waving a Mexican flag. A US appeals court has rejected Trump’s attempt to impose sweeping restrictions on mail-in voting before November’s high-stakes midterm elections, dealing a fresh blow to the president’s attempted crackdown. Anthropic has detailed efforts by bad actors to misuse its AI for the production of bioweapons. More researchers and staff members at the AI startup have posted their own dire warnings about the safety of the technology, but Elon Musk called the chorus of concerns a “setup” and a “psyop”. California has adopted what Gavin Newsom described as “nation-leading” legislation that bans addictive social media features for young users, regulates companion chatbots and implements new safeguards around AI. Sales of previously occupied US homes declined in August to their slowest annual pace in more than a year as home shoppers grappled with rising mortgage rates and home prices. Continue reading...

  15. Güvenlik11 Eyl 10:20

    9/11 deeply touched all feelings of humanity says Mattarella

    (ANSA) - ROME, 11 SET - President Sergio Mattarella reiterated Italy's commitment to combatting terrorism in his message for the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. "The painful memory of the terrorist attacks on the United States on the 11th of September 2001 remains etched onto everyone's conscience as an appalling page in the recent history of humanity," the head of State said. "That day deeply touched all feelings of humanity. "The Italian Republic renews its feelings of deep grief for the victims of those tragic events which marked a watershed in the course of contemporary history and led to subsequent new tragedies. "Onerous was also the tribute of deaths and suffering paid also by the Italian American community in New York and in the other places involved in the terrorists' insane criminal design. "On this anniversary, our heartfelt thought goes first to the families and to all those loved by those who were unjustly killed in or as a result of the terrorist attacks or, as well as to the rescuers who relentlessly made their best efforts to save as many lives as possible, working in forbidding conditions. "The unanimous condemnation of what happened on the 11th of September 2001 prompted a strong cohesion of the international community against acts of terrorism, in whatever form perpetrated. "In the aftermath of this vile and unacceptable aggression, the call to the value of defending individual human rights was firmly, immediately and concertedly upheld in Italy and in its European partners. "The value of peaceful coexistence among peoples must inspire our modern-day behaviours, without surrendering to the logic of war which instead appears to prevail in too many theatres of war. "Faced with the resurgence of the logic of oppression and new conflicts, Italy remains firm in its commitment against terrorism, in defence of the lives of our fellow citizens and of the citizens of any other nation, as well as of the inalienable rights of the people. Only a bold, just and far-sighted cooperation can assure peace, security and prosperity to future generations". (ANSA). Read article...

  16. Güvenlik11 Eyl 10:49

    25 years later, Americans pause to remember the lives lost on 9/11

    Twenty-five years ago, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. Today, Americans are honoring the lives lost and reflecting on the aftermath of that tragic day.

  17. Güvenlik11 Eyl 14:21

    The day America lost Its soul

    WASHINGTON: Twenty-five years ago, on a bright September morning, America woke up to a different world. I was in Washington. I was asleep when John Hendel, our news editor at the American news agency where I worked, called. “There have been attacks of Biblical proportions in New York and Washington,” he said. “Go out and see what is happening. But come back and sleep. We have transferred you to the news desk. You’ll be doing night shifts.” The remaining tower of the World Trade Centre, Tower 2, collapses in a cloud of dust and debris about a half hour after the first tower fell, in New York City, the US on September 11, 2001. — Reuters/File My wife, Bushra, and I went out. We lived in downtown Washington, and the city suddenly looked unfamiliar. Armoured personnel carriers stood at crossroads and strategic points. Men in uniform were everywhere. The capital of the world’s most powerful country looked like a city preparing for war. We reached the White House. Bushra was wearing a shalwar-kameez. Near the White House, a man stopped his bicycle, pointed at her and shouted: “There goes a terrorist. Catch her, catch her.” A few people stopped, looked and walked on. I remember that moment vividly, perhaps because it contained, in miniature, something that would become much larger in the years that followed. The woman walking beside me had not changed. Her clothes had not changed. I had not changed. But suddenly those clothes could be interpreted differently. Something that had always meant home, culture and identity could, in somebody else’s eyes, become evidence of something sinister. Later, we drove as close to the Pentagon as we could. Smoke was still rising. There was a large hole in the building. We interviewed people who had seen the plane hit. The damaged area of the Pentagon, where a commercial airliner slammed into it September 11, 2001, is seen in the early morning at sunrise with the US Capitol Building in the background, on September 16, 2001. — Reuters Washington was frightened, but it did not descend into chaos. There was no mass killing, burning or looting. Government continued to function. People tried to understand what had happened and what might happen next. Yet something had happened to America that could not be seen in the smoke. America had changed. The physical destruction of September 11 was enormous: the World Trade Centre was destroyed, the Pentagon was struck, and nearly 3,000 people were killed. But the consequences went far beyond the buildings and the people who died that morning. The attacks changed the way Americans thought about safety, government, war, immigration, surveillance and, perhaps most importantly, one another. An American flag flies near the base of the destroyed World Trade Centre in New York, the US on September 11, 2001. — Reuters Before September 11, many Americans could believe that the great threats to their country existed somewhere else. Wars happened overseas. Terrorism was something that appeared on television from distant places. The oceans seemed to provide a measure of protection. Then four aeroplanes crossed those oceans and turned ordinary American objects into weapons. The country discovered its vulnerability. The response was understandable. America had been attacked, and Americans wanted protection. The government created new security institutions, tightened controls at airports and borders, expanded intelligence gathering and embarked on wars that would last for decades. The language of national security entered everyday life. But every society pays a price for living in permanent fear. Privacy became something that had to be balanced against security. Surveillance became a familiar part of public life. Immigration and national security became increasingly connected in the public imagination. People began to look more closely at those who seemed foreign, different or difficult to classify. For American Muslims, the change was particularly painful. The men who attacked America claimed to act in the name of Islam. American Muslims had nothing to do with their crimes, yet they found themselves living under a shadow cast by people they had never met and whose actions they condemned. Muslims were simultaneously victims of terrorism and, in some eyes, objects of suspicion because of terrorism. That was one of the great ironies of September 11. The attacks did not merely produce fear of terrorism. They produced a new social question: Who is an American, and how do we recognise one? For many Muslim Americans, the question became personal. A name could matter. A beard could matter. A headscarf could matter. A language could matter. A passport could matter. Even the alphabet in which a newspaper was printed could matter. I discovered this for myself when I visited New York soon after the attacks. I was on a train from Queens to Manhattan. It was packed, but nobody was looking at me. For a while I felt safe in the anonymity of the crowd. Then a burly white man boarded. His shirt carried Gen. George Patton’s famous philosophy of war: the aim was not to die for your country but to make the other fellow die for his. He sat opposite me, put his newspaper away and stared at me. I had no reason to believe he wanted to hurt me. But fear does not always require a reason. I tried to ignore him, but my fear —a nd something like guilt — rose in my throat. I called my friend Haider Rizvi in Brooklyn. Days earlier, Haider had been beaten outside a bar near his apartment. He knew something about this kind of hatred. Years earlier, Muslim zealots in Islamabad had burned his motorcycle because of his unconventional views. Years later, he moved to New York. “It is a city I respect,” he once told me. “It allowed me to be lost in its madness. It is so big and so crowded that you can live here without being discovered by friends or foes.” That was one of the great gifts of New York: anonymity. After September 11, even that anonymity seemed less secure. When I told Haider about the man staring at me on the train, he panicked. “Get off the train. Take a cab and come over to me,” he said. The train entered the tunnel and our conversation was cut off. I looked around for reassurance — a friendly smile, a familiar face, a little affection. I found none. When I got off, my phone rang. “What happened?” “We got disconnected.” “Keep it on. I’ll keep checking.” And he did. By then I felt better. I walked from Grand Central Station toward the United Nations, a walk I had always enjoyed, passing people of every colour and creed. Suddenly I understood why I liked that walk so much. It allowed me to forget myself. Becoming anonymous in a great city is liberating. You need not explain your religion, country, language or history. You are simply another person walking down the street. Coming into Manhattan from Queens on the A train, however, I had tried to hide behind an Urdu newspaper. Then I realised my mistake. Few people might know what Urdu was, but many could recognise its Arabic script. It could identify me as one of “them.” I folded the newspaper and picked up the New York Post. A girl wearing a hijab entered the train and sat beside me. “Salaam,” I said. She smiled but did not answer. Was she nervous? Or was I imagining fear everywhere? I don’t know. A large group of mostly white men entered. Their presence somehow increased my fear. I looked for the Muslim girl. She was gone. The train passed through stations where World Trade Centre commuters once emerged every morning. I felt dizzy. Something inside me seemed broken. I felt incomplete. Even the UN building looked different. Hundreds of soldiers guarded it. There were more on motorboats, patrolling the Hudson. Looking back after twenty-five years, I realise that this was not simply the fear of an individual immigrant. It was the beginning of a much larger psychological transformation. The country was trying to determine how much freedom it could sacrifice for safety. Muslims were trying to determine how much of their identity they could display without becoming targets. And America as a whole was trying to decide whether difference was something to be celebrated, tolerated or feared.

  18. Güvenlik11 Eyl 14:40

    Trump commemorates the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon

    President Donald Trump was set to observe Friday’s 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks by attending a ceremony at the Pentagon commemorating the lives lost when al-Qaida militants hijacked planes and killed nearly 3,000 people in three locations, upending American foreign policy and national security. Fraser Jackson reports from Washington.

  19. Güvenlik11 Eyl 14:48

    REPLAY: Trump speaks at 9/11 25th anniversary ceremony at the Pentagon

    President Donald Trump vowed Friday that the United States would never forget the September 11, 2001 attacks and would continue to "fight," as he marked the 25th anniversary in a ceremony at the Pentagon. "Today we renew the sacred oath that we first swore in their names a quarter of a century ago. We will never, ever forget. That's why we fight today," said Trump, who opted to skip commemorations in New York.

  20. Güvenlik11 Eyl 15:29

    Trump delivers remarks at Pentagon ceremony to mark 25th anniversary of 9/11

    US President Donald Trump observed Friday’s 25th anniversary by speaking about 9/11 at a ceremony at the Pentagon commemorating the lives lost when al-Qaeda militants hijacked planes and killed nearly 3,000 people in three locations, upending American foreign policy and national security.

  21. Güvenlik11 Eyl 15:46

    9/11 attacks: The day America lost its soul

    WASHINGTON: Twenty-five years ago, on a bright September morning, America woke up to a different world. I was in Washington. I was asleep when John Hendel, our news editor at the American news agency where I worked, called. “There have been attacks of Biblical proportions in New York and Washington,” he said. “Go out and see what is happening. But come back and sleep. We have transferred you to the news desk. You’ll be doing night shifts.” The remaining tower of the World Trade Centre, Tower 2, collapses in a cloud of dust and debris about a half hour after the first tower fell, in New York City, the US on September 11, 2001. — Reuters/File My wife, Bushra, and I went out. We lived in downtown Washington, and the city suddenly looked unfamiliar. Armoured personnel carriers stood at crossroads and strategic points. Men in uniform were everywhere. The capital of the world’s most powerful country looked like a city preparing for war. We reached the White House. Bushra was wearing a shalwar-kameez. Near the White House, a man stopped his bicycle, pointed at her and shouted: “There goes a terrorist. Catch her, catch her.” A few people stopped, looked and walked on. I remember that moment vividly, perhaps because it contained, in miniature, something that would become much larger in the years that followed. The woman walking beside me had not changed. Her clothes had not changed. I had not changed. But suddenly those clothes could be interpreted differently. Something that had always meant home, culture and identity could, in somebody else’s eyes, become evidence of something sinister. Later, we drove as close to the Pentagon as we could. Smoke was still rising. There was a large hole in the building. We interviewed people who had seen the plane hit. The damaged area of the Pentagon, where a commercial airliner slammed into it September 11, 2001, is seen in the early morning at sunrise with the US Capitol Building in the background, on September 16, 2001. — Reuters Washington was frightened, but it did not descend into chaos. There was no mass killing, burning or looting. Government continued to function. People tried to understand what had happened and what might happen next. Yet something had happened to America that could not be seen in the smoke. America had changed. The physical destruction of September 11 was enormous: the World Trade Centre was destroyed, the Pentagon was struck, and nearly 3,000 people were killed. But the consequences went far beyond the buildings and the people who died that morning. The attacks changed the way Americans thought about safety, government, war, immigration, surveillance and, perhaps most importantly, one another. An American flag flies near the base of the destroyed World Trade Centre in New York, the US on September 11, 2001. — Reuters Before September 11, many Americans could believe that the great threats to their country existed somewhere else. Wars happened overseas. Terrorism was something that appeared on television from distant places. The oceans seemed to provide a measure of protection. Then four aeroplanes crossed those oceans and turned ordinary American objects into weapons. The country discovered its vulnerability. The response was understandable. America had been attacked, and Americans wanted protection. The government created new security institutions, tightened controls at airports and borders, expanded intelligence gathering and embarked on wars that would last for decades. The language of national security entered everyday life. But every society pays a price for living in permanent fear. Privacy became something that had to be balanced against security. Surveillance became a familiar part of public life. Immigration and national security became increasingly connected in the public imagination. People began to look more closely at those who seemed foreign, different or difficult to classify. For American Muslims, the change was particularly painful. The men who attacked America claimed to act in the name of Islam. American Muslims had nothing to do with their crimes, yet they found themselves living under a shadow cast by people they had never met and whose actions they condemned. Muslims were simultaneously victims of terrorism and, in some eyes, objects of suspicion because of terrorism. That was one of the great ironies of September 11. The attacks did not merely produce fear of terrorism. They produced a new social question: Who is an American, and how do we recognise one? For many Muslim Americans, the question became personal. A name could matter. A beard could matter. A headscarf could matter. A language could matter. A passport could matter. Even the alphabet in which a newspaper was printed could matter. I discovered this for myself when I visited New York soon after the attacks. I was on a train from Queens to Manhattan. It was packed, but nobody was looking at me. For a while I felt safe in the anonymity of the crowd. Then a burly white man boarded. His shirt carried Gen. George Patton’s famous philosophy of war: the aim was not to die for your country but to make the other fellow die for his. He sat opposite me, put his newspaper away and stared at me. I had no reason to believe he wanted to hurt me. But fear does not always require a reason. I tried to ignore him, but my fear —a nd something like guilt — rose in my throat. I called my friend Haider Rizvi in Brooklyn. Days earlier, Haider had been beaten outside a bar near his apartment. He knew something about this kind of hatred. Years earlier, Muslim zealots in Islamabad had burned his motorcycle because of his unconventional views. Years later, he moved to New York. “It is a city I respect,” he once told me. “It allowed me to be lost in its madness. It is so big and so crowded that you can live here without being discovered by friends or foes.” That was one of the great gifts of New York: anonymity. After September 11, even that anonymity seemed less secure. When I told Haider about the man staring at me on the train, he panicked. “Get off the train. Take a cab and come over to me,” he said. The train entered the tunnel and our conversation was cut off. I looked around for reassurance — a friendly smile, a familiar face, a little affection. I found none. When I got off, my phone rang. “What happened?” “We got disconnected.” “Keep it on. I’ll keep checking.” And he did. By then I felt better. I walked from Grand Central Station toward the United Nations, a walk I had always enjoyed, passing people of every colour and creed. Suddenly I understood why I liked that walk so much. It allowed me to forget myself. Becoming anonymous in a great city is liberating. You need not explain your religion, country, language or history. You are simply another person walking down the street. Coming into Manhattan from Queens on the A train, however, I had tried to hide behind an Urdu newspaper. Then I realised my mistake. Few people might know what Urdu was, but many could recognise its Arabic script. It could identify me as one of “them.” I folded the newspaper and picked up the New York Post. A girl wearing a hijab entered the train and sat beside me. “Salaam,” I said. She smiled but did not answer. Was she nervous? Or was I imagining fear everywhere? I don’t know. A large group of mostly white men entered. Their presence somehow increased my fear. I looked for the Muslim girl. She was gone. The train passed through stations where World Trade Centre commuters once emerged every morning. I felt dizzy. Something inside me seemed broken. I felt incomplete. Even the UN building looked different. Hundreds of soldiers guarded it. There were more on motorboats, patrolling the Hudson. Looking back after twenty-five years, I realise that this was not simply the fear of an individual immigrant. It was the beginning of a much larger psychological transformation. The country was trying to determine how much freedom it could sacrifice for safety. Muslims were trying to determine how much of their identity they could display without becoming targets. And America as a whole was trying to decide whether difference was something to be celebrated, tolerated or feared.

  22. Güvenlik11 Eyl 19:00

    US commemorates 25th anniversary of devastating 9/11 attacks as their legacy endures

    Traditionally, there are no political speeches at the Ground Zero commemoration. Victims’ relatives read their names, pay tribute to first responders and call for national unity.

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