This Saturday, the world observed the 20th anniversary of September 11 and the attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Centres. The destruction caused by the four attacks in the US on this date twenty years ago stunned not just America, but the entire world! The US responded by launching the War on Terror. Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, became the scene of this war, as it was the hiding place of Al Qaeda and its founder/leader, Osama bin Laden (OBL). With the Taliban refusal to give up its friends of the Al Qaeda and OBL, the war on terror focused on deposing the Taliban. Ten years after twin tower attacks on the US, OBL was eliminated from his hideout in a safe house in Abbottabad, virtually a stone’s throw from the heavily fortified compound of Pakistan’s Military Academy.
This year, on the twentieth anniversary of the dreaded terrorist attacks, the Taliban are back in Afghanistan, and a number of those declared as terrorists are part of the interim cabinet of the Taliban. Analysts are describing the US war on terror as ‘a crude joke’. From defeat of the Taliban, to elimination of OBL, to return of the Taliban, the cycle does look like a mirthless joke. But is that all that it is, a sad joke?
Beyond the elimination of OBL, the gains of the US war on terror are not immediately evident; the cost is apparent. Beyond the cost in human lives and financial resources, or even the damaged standing of the US, there is a much bigger loss, the price of which we will pay for the foreseeable future.
One of the immediate consequences of the September 11 attacks was that it created divisions amongst people. The trust between people and communities was replaced by fear of the unknown and unfamiliar. Soon after the attacks of September 11, a turban-wearing Sikh-American entrepreneur was attacked and killed in Arizona, USA. This was followed by other similar attacks. Not many people outside India were aware that the turban wearing, bearded Sikhs comprised a brave and peace-loving community. Several members of the community devoted themselves to creating awareness about the values espoused by Sikhism. I remember accompanying my husband to a special event designed to create greater awareness about Sikhism and a better understanding of the culture of Punjab, at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, where a chair in Sikh Studies had been set up.
The word Islamophobia became a part of our vocabulary. As the terrorists that carried out the September 11 attacks were Muslims, the mistrust of Islam extended to all Muslims indiscriminately. The prejudice spread like a hydra within societies in many parts of the globe, creating deep divisions in societies that may take a long time to heal. The consequences of recent events in Afghanistan could further exacerbate these differences. Millions of peaceful Muslims, even those suffering in Afghanistan, may face stronger mistrust in the years to come. In many communities, the negativity tends to extend from Muslims to all foreigners. Societies have to work hard against such narrow-mindedness and bigotry.
For twenty years we condemned terrorism, saying there is no justification for it, that there are no good or bad terrorists. With the way things are proceeding, as Pankaj Vohra says in thedailyguardian.com, the day may come when the very same Taliban leaders shunned by the US and the world, visit the US or address world leaders in the United Nations.The events of the last few weeks have made condemnation of terrorism, extremism and fundamentalism seem passe now. Our holy books tell us about the victory of good over evil; that no matter how strong the evil forces may be, or how weak the good, eventually, good will win over evil. Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavadgita, “Whenever virtue subsides and wickedness prevails, I manifest Myself. To establish virtue, to destroy evil, to save the good, I come from Yuga (age) to Yuga.” The developments in Afghanistan have shaken this belief!
As we mourn the losses of the terrorist attacks of September-11, we need to remain steadfast in supporting the fight against extremism and terrorism, while guarding against prejudice.
