Growing up Muslim post 9/11: Wary of Being Targeted for my Religion
Al-Talib interviews Yahya Fahimuddin, a recent graduate from UCLA, about his thoughts on the Muslim American experience in post 9/11 America.
Al-Talib interviews Yahya Fahimuddin, a recent graduate from UCLA, about his thoughts on the Muslim American experience in post 9/11 America.
Throw out all the conspiracy theories and put aside the prejudice towards Muslims –we are in the Post 9/11 era now. But, in the ten years since terrorism made its way overseas to the States, how much has America really changed?
You don’t just easily forget things like this. At the time, I lived in a nice neighborhood in Cleveland. I knew something was wrong on that devastating day on September 11, 2001 when my homeroom teacher told our class that something terrible had happened in the nation a few minutes ago.
Al-Talib interviews Shahid Chohan, a first year Computer Science major at UCLA, about his experience living in post 9/11 America and where he thinks Muslim Americans are headed.
A cartoon depicting the sometimes ridiculous extra security screenings at airports.
Uzair Akbar was harassed by his peers after 9/11 for being Muslim. Akbar writes this letter to his elementary school principal to thank him for his support during this hard time.
When the two towers fell and America, for one moment collectively stood still in silent, rapt horror, Muslims across the West were forced to look long and hard at themselves in a mirror forged by the fires of those passenger jets.
Alaa Koleilat, a 3rd year Neuroscience major at UCLA, was living in North Dakota when the attacks happened. She shares her experience as one of the few Muslims that live in this state.
The taxi driver looked at me in a panicked state and exclaimed, “Quran! Quran!” Frantically attempting to communicate with me in Arabic, he hoped that we would at least understand each other through a commonality of faith. I nodded in agreement and felt a sense of relief.
Somehow the stars seemed to be aligned just right, because my fortune could not have been better. I embarked on my dream to live in Muslim countries during the month of Ramadan this year.