Community Corner

Local Muslims and the Impact of 9/11

"Our religion was being hijacked in the name of terror because of Muslim extremists."

Like all Americans on that fateful day 10 years ago, South Brunswick resident Atiya Aftab was going about her normal daily routine on Sept. 11, 2001. She had just sent her eldest child off to kindergarten on a beautiful Tuesday morning, as the new school year had begun days earlier.

"I remember sitting at home watching the Today Show with my newborn, and then witnessing the second tower falling," Aftab said. "Like most people, I had this feeling of 'oh my God what is going on.'  I had just sent my child off to school and I was scared for my relatives in New York City. I was just sitting there feeling stunned, insecure and scared." 

However, the fear for Aftab was just beginning. Aftab serves as the board secretary for the , and like most local Muslims, sadness turned to disbelief when the news surfaced that a group of Islamic terrorists had carried out the 9/11 attacks on America.

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"As a board member, we had to immediately kick into action for safety precautions after we found out that so-called Muslims perpetrated these acts, so we had to be on guard for any repercussions," Aftab said. "We received threatening phone calls and we had to make sure the facility was secure. We hired 24-hour police surveillance and had South Brunswick police and New Jersey State Police parked in the parking lot of the ISCJ.

"As a board we are responsible for our building and our community, we also have a school on site, so we had to take care of our employees and make sure it was a safe environment and there weren't any bias or hate crimes on us."

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The ISCJ, which has congregants from throughout Middlesex, Mercer and Somerset counties, maintained a police presence at their Route 1 facility for one month following 9/11, and there were no acts of vandalism or violence at the site.

In the aftermath of the attacks, local Muslims were faced with a difficult period of mourning. As they grieved for those who were lost, Muslims were also facing scrutiny and suspicious glances from a portion of the society who began to associate all Muslims with the actions of a fringe terrorist group.

"We were all affected so personally on this sad occasion as both Americans and as Muslims," said ISCJ Imam Hamad Chebli. "We felt that same sadness as the rest of the country. We knew some of the people personally who were lost. There were over 250 Muslims who died in the attacks. As Americans, as Muslims, and as human beings, we cried and asked why did this happen?"

As local Muslims were dealing with their own personal sadness over the attacks, Aftab said it was crucial for the ISCJ community to educate their children about what happened and who carried out the attacks.

"We were definitely living in fear as Americans and as Muslims," Aftab said. "We talked to our kids, and my kids will tell you to this day, those people who did this and who call themselves Muslims have nothing to do with me and this had nothing to do with our true values. Our religion was being hijacked in the name of terror because of Muslim extremists."

However, in the aftermath of the attacks, a large portion of the surrounding community reached out to the ISCJ as phone calls and messages of support began to pour in.

"Because of our involvement with the larger community and from people who knew Muslims first-hand, a lot of people were able to judge us not based on what terrorists had done," Aftab said. "They were able to see that this is not what our religion is based on, just like any terrorist act carried out by an extremist Christian, Jew, or any other extremist group. Many people were able to distinguish between the individual act and the religion."

Soon thereafter, the ISCJ took out a full page advertisement in the Star Ledger condemning the 9/11 attacks.

"We wanted to make clear that we don't believe in what they believe in, and they weren't doing this in the name of our religion," Aftab said. "We wanted to condemn this horrible act in the most forcible way possible."

A conversation about the attacks was also held as the local clergy association organized interfaith events to begin discussions on how to proceed as a community. Imam Chebli said about 300 members of various faiths from surrounding communities arrived to show their support to the ISCJ.

"We have been here since 1983 and we have always opened our doors to our neighbors," he said. "The community responded to us, with cards and flowers. Many non-Muslims came inside our building to pray with us. A few students from Princeton University came to our mosque and said we're here to take the ladies wearing scarves and burqas to the market, if you're afraid to go shopping, we can help you. We had a number of positive signs from our neighbors."

Though the ISCJ had always preached and practiced community outreach, the 9/11 attacks and hatred that followed prompted them to conduct a more concerted effort to open their doors and help their neighbors. A free medical clinic open to all is offered at the ISCJ each Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. Free legal clinics were also offered. The ISCJ continued to make donations to the police and fire departments, local schools, and the township Women's Commission.

"We have a large immigrant population in this community and I think this was eye-opening for that group to know you can't live insular," Aftab said. "Many groups will come over here and live in an insular community. I think 9/11 was a wake-up call for the immigrant population to say we have to reach out to everybody and be part of the broader community. I think a lot of people have taken steps and have been doing that over the last 10 years."

Aftab said, as a Muslim, there was a feeling of pressure to constantly exhibit loyalty to the United States when at speaking arrangements on behalf of the ISCJ. She said during one such engagement, an elderly German woman spoke of similar experiences following World War II.

"She said she was constantly explaining to people that just because she's German doesn't mean she's not loyal to America, and she constantly had to explain herself and wear an American flag on her sleeve," Aftab said. "We have to explain that as Muslims, we believe in the values of America and that American values are consistent with true Muslim values."

Even to this day, Aftab said the pressure still exists to prove to others that real Muslims are nothing like the extremists of Al-Qaeda.

"When I'm around my friends I don't feel the need, but sometimes I do feel the need when I'm representing a Muslim organization during a speech or something," she said. "As I tell my kids, the best way to demonstrate who you are is by how you live your life, and by what you teach the community about what true Muslim values are, which are the same values as the core American values. Hard work, loyalty, integrity, honesty, and . All of those are American values and are also Islamic values."

In reflecting on the attitudes of our society at-large towards Islam in the 10 years since 9/11, Aftab said many local Muslims have been buoyed by the understanding and support of the local community, as American Muslims and non-Muslims alike continue the healing process a decade later.

"I think most people were able to distinguish that these acts were not what local Muslims believe and this is not what our religion espouses," Aftab said. "Those terrorists used religion as the flag they were flying, saying violence is acceptable when that is not the case.  Nobody wants to be judged on the actions of terrorists."


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