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The destruction of the Twin Towers not only left a big hole in the New York City skyline, but also left an indelible mark on the lives of Americans.
Twenty years have passed since the terrible 9/11 tragedy took place in downtown New York, but Naiema Zaki, a 13-year-old American expat at the time, still remembers every scene that unfolded before her eyes. The destruction of the Twin Towers not only left a big hole in the New York City skyline, but also left an indelible mark on the lives of Americans.
Recalling a decisive day, Zaki, who now lives in Abu Dhabi with her husband and children, said that she clearly remembered that morning because it was the beginning of her new semester of 8th grade at school, which was only 10 miles away from where the incident occurred. The attack in New York.
Zaki called this one of the scariest moments in her life. She recounted: “This is the first week I have recently joined this school. At around 8:30 in the morning, we were waiting for the teacher to attend class. The classroom windows looked outside, and what I saw seemed “unreal” to me. I could see thick smoke blowing around the World Trade Center building.
“We all think this is a movie being shot, because what we have seen is incredible, smog, and a layer of gray film is dropped over the city’s financial district. At this moment, we panicked. The teacher walked into the class and announced to us a terrible news that shocked our survival. We felt that we were under attack and our lives were in danger.”
Zaki said that she and her friends were frightened because many of her classmates’ parents worked near the World Trade Center.
“As young teenagers, what happened to us is so dramatic. We always thought we were living in the United States, the most powerful country in the world. This is why the 9/11 tragedy is very disturbing. But even if we are frightened Looking at the whole thing, we didn’t realize that the worse things are still behind,” Zaki said. She used to wear a headscarf, so she was insulted by people nearby, and kept cursing her saying “Your people attacked. We, leave this country”.
“It broke me down. We are mourning as Americans, and we are deeply saddened by our safety as a country, and then when America was the place where I was born and raised, I saw someone coming over and saying “roll back.” Your country” is heartbreaking,” Zaki recalled the pain she experienced when she was young because she faced the fear and pain caused by the turn of events.
However, Zaki said that as more and more people realize the truth and decide to learn more about Islam, this stage has passed and things will get better in a few years. “When people later apologized to me and admitted that they always had wrong views of Islam and Muslims, it was wonderful, but it is actually such a beautiful and peaceful religion.”
Natalia, another American expatriate living in Dubai, said that this day left painful memories in her mind.
“We all lost something that day. More than 20 years have passed, and I still find it difficult to talk or even watch the camera. Every September 11th, I spend a quiet day of reflection on my own. When 9/11 shocked the world, I I was still a young man in San Francisco, about to start college. This incident profoundly changed my life and later allowed me to start working in Iraq. There was still a lot of pain that day. It really showed me the spirit of the American people, even though I remember a complete stranger hugging me, and I did the same.”
Whenever 9/11 is mentioned, a series of flashbacks flashed before the eyes of Abu Dhabi resident Satierra Hudon. Hudson, who was studying at a university at the time, said: “When someone woke me up with this news, I fell asleep in the university dormitory. I thought it was just a nightmare. I remember sitting up and really paying attention. Make sure it’s true. When I turned on the TV, I watched in disbelief as my family lives in New York, my tears rolled down my face, and I was worried about their safety. Thankfully, everyone is fine. .”
Hudson, who has lived in New York for 12 years, said that although the tragedy initially exacerbated the racial tensions that already existed, it also ignited the best in people’s hearts when people opened their hearts to dialogue.
When talking about her visit to the Petronas Twin Towers Memorial, Hudson said: I have only visited the Ground Zero Monument once. I think this is very beautiful, beautiful, and a proper gesture. But knowing the destruction it causes and the lives it takes is emotionally painful. “
saman@khaleejtimes.com
Saman Hazik
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