11th September 2001. All conspiracy, calaacal and where you were in here...

[N.O.R.F]

So, it's been 10 years. I can't quite believe it. I saved the newspapers from the next day in a shoe box (could be worth something now) but unfortunately I can't find the box. Probably got lost in all the house moves I've made in that time.

 

So where were you?

 

Who did it?

 

Is the world a better place as a result?

 

Tafadal...

[Baashi]

Ciid Mubaarak Northerner. I take you are still milking Dubai and what it has to offer. First let me correct you. What happen in NY that day was a tragedy. Not callaacal! Whether justified or not is a different ball game. Folks still are grabbling with its far reaching ramifications. Hawks, xenophobes, racists, hate and other interest groups with sinister motives made their business to exploit emotions that momentous day evokes in order to deny Muslim participation in American civic live.

 

There is a well researched article in Mother Jones and Nation newspapers called Fear Inc. by American Progress think tank. The article has received a lot of publicity lately.

 

Where were you? I was in Eden Prairie, MN getting ready to go to the Borders (starbucks coffee/barnes and nobles bookstore equivalent) -- a nearby coffee shop. I got a phone call from a hiring manager in high tech company informing me that the scheduled interview that I was supposed to have with him is cancelled. That interview would have been my third and final interview. Ku gal. I had to wait eight months (a year after graduation) to secure another professional job.

 

Is the world a better place as a result of that event? No. Countless lives have been lost because of it.

 

Who did it? All indications point to Osama and his base group.

[Abtigiis]

Where were you? I was watching TV with one of my ex-wives (tolow tumay aheyd). No joke. I didn't see the first one hit the tower. As I was watching the tower burn, she said " diyaarad kale oo aan u maleyn inay daminayso, ayaa ku soo socota. And then bang!"

 

The rest, I agree with BAASHI.

[Abu-Salman]

On the late night of Sunday 9th September, me, my elder brother and mum were traveling from Djibouti to Paris as I was supposed to enrol at the uni (I prefered Toronto where relatives resided or the elite "classes preparatoires" to the faculty).

After rapidly transiting via Jeddah where it was announced that all acohol should be discarded before landing (and some boarding women started pulling out their hairscarves), the Air France flight arrived at Paris CDG around 6 AM.

 

Jumping on a Taxi, mum guided the driver to a familiar Lebanese 2 star hotels near the famous Pitie Salpetriere in the 13th Arrondissement where she trained in nursing and laboratory analysis around 20 years ago; not before engaging in a chat with the driver about Arabs tipping them generously during the season, Mitterand policies and recognising landmarks such as the "Ministère de l'Economie" at Bercy (which adorned one of dad's training material carried from abroad).

The taxi woman was puzzled with such matter-of-fact knowledge about her country by some fresh newcomer.

 

Prevented from proper sleep by flight nervosity but overexcited by the long anticipated adventure, I tried contacting a long time friend and classmate as well as a cousin that preceded us through the hotel phone.

Anxious about the next steps, I was still undecided about whether to join too dad's small town uni, my friend, brother or something else

(universities are largely "flexible" there and somehow avoided by the elite); there was however no doubt that I should first try and have some good time.

Flanked by hooyo and my bro, we adjusted to escalators then headed for some shopping, notably at C&A, whose emblem adorned many of our childhood clothes and then returned via the subway with all its epic stations names, grabbing some necessities at the local Monoprix.

 

By evening, we left hooyo at the hotel and decided to take the metro into the "Champs Elysees" or some other entertainment, our confidence buoyed by the 10 000 FF each in liquidity stuffing our pockets from back home;

my bro left me at some cinema to watch "Rush Hour"; mesmerized by the multi-storeys arrangement of fancy cars and other sights, I could not understand anyway how someone could watch a movie with so many explorations to undertake (my boredom from early teens with video games or movies in general still set me apart from my brothers).

 

By the next morning, we headed East towards the small town where my bro was undertaking his second year in the same uni that offered courses by distance learning back in Djibouti, whose nascent University was not autonomous by then.

Out of the TGV station, police officers stopped us for ID search (we were then on visas) and we finally arrived at somewhere reasonably priced for the bro to stay.

Checking earlier into the room at around 3 pm, I switched the TV on, welcomed by a surreal scene of planes and flaming towers before being joined by my incredulous mother (was it the reason for the officers zeal?).

This was the beginning of some palpable hysteria, the "Plan Vigipirate" (I will later once be warned that one of my left luggage would have been destroyed).

 

On the moment, it looked like "chicken come home to roost" to paraphrase rvd Wright, then sheer pity for the innocent jumping to death overtook me; all too soon however, the typical, revolting arrogance and naked aggression was directed to a long oppressed people in the grip of hunger.

The USA then started pampering our local Mafia regime, building their first base on Africa and inflating the French one's rent to a similar $ 30 millions.

It was then clear that filling the airwaves with degenerate Pop music through their local VOA transmitter, the embassy gift of sewing machines, stationery etc to our association or seminar sponsorship will not be deemed enough for "winning hearts and minds"...

[N.O.R.F]

Shiekh Basshi, waad salaamantahay and Eid Mubarak saxib. Still here and looking forward to the cooler months. By calaacal, I meant what usually transpires in a thread. I wasn’t calling the event of 9/11 calaacal. If you had gotten that job you may have hated it. It might have held you back. You may never have had the opportunity to come out here. Perspective saxib.

 

I was on my year placement. It was just another Tuesday afternoon. I went for lunch late on that day. I think I left the office at about 2pm (BST). As I was driving to the small café I usually got a sandwich from, I hear one of the WTC towers was hit by a plane. No big deal I thought. Surely it was an accident I told myself. Then, as I was eating and listening to the radio in the café all hell broke loose. The second plane had hit the other tower. I wondered if I was dreaming or part of some movie.

 

By the time I got back to the office people were literally in tears (the women) and swearing at the radio (the men). This was before live TV was available on the internet. Heck it was before broadband. So, without a TV in the office, people just huddled around a radio in one of the offices.

 

When I got home I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The gravity of it all didn’t really hit home until much later. A week or so later a woman stopped by as I was filling the car with petrol. What did she say? “Go back to where you came from. F*&**&g killing people”. Caught me by surprise. But was a sign of things to come (mainly inspired by right wing media).

 

Then the profiling at airports. The world has changed.

[Valenteenah.]

10 years...amazing walaahi. It certainly changed the world. Made the new Millenium start with a bang that still hasn't ended, started wars where hundreds of thousands of people perished, it initiated a scrapping of Human rights laws and the introduction of legislation limiting the liberties nations had fought so hard for. It was a game changer. Bet even the hijackers never dreamed their actions would have such far-reaching consequences! But we can't ignore that 9/11 was also a huge boon for the US military industrial machine. Their tide came in then and still hasn't left!

 

 

So where were you? I was at Uni....queuing up at the departmental office so I could hand in my chosen modules. People started getting texts and talking about planes and buildings but I didn't pay much attention. It was only when I got back on the tube that I saw the front-page of the Evening Standard displaying the smoking Twin Towers in all their glory. I could hardly wait to get home after that and I was parked in front of the TV watching the news channels for the rest of the day as well as the next few days. It was the most spectacular thing I had ever seen and the horrific images of people throwing themselves from the towers kept me awake for weeks.

 

 

Who did it? According to mainstream opinion, it was Osama wot done it. According to conspiracists, it was the Zionists, the american Military, Bush himself, possibly even aliens who visited our planet and disliked how Hollywood portrays them in Movies. Me? I think it was the hijackers wot done it.

 

 

Is the world a better place as a result? How can it be? No, it's a much much worse place, but I daresay it will only get more horrible.

[nuune]

ilmihii dhashey September 2001 ama isla sanadkaa wuxuu jiraa 10 sano, Solers who got married at those times ilmahooda waa 10 jir, ilmahooda school ayuu dhigtaa.

 

just pointing out, that is all

[N.O.R.F]

I wonder where that shoe box of mine with Sept 12 2001 newspapers is? Whoever has a hold of them will be rich one day (or maybe his grand kids will). Anyway, relive the initial coverage from the Guardian.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/from-the-archive-blog/2011/sep/06/9-11-attacks-guardian-archive

[N.O.R.F]

Look at this interactive map of where bombings and other terrorist attacks have occurred since 11 September 2001. I doubt it covers every incident but watching the red balloons brings home just what has gone on in the last 10 years since

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/sep/05/9-11-terror-attacks-interactive

[Gheelle.T]

I used to work at night back then. I remember the night before 9/11, I had a long discussion with a fellow African co-worker at work about how religions came to African and the influence they left on us Africans. The fella was from West Africa and devout christian, none the less he was very open about his christian beliefs, the role of the church in colonial Africa, slaves, the injustices and all kind of blames and grievances. I remember him telling me about superstitions in that part of Africa, where despite him being a christian, how they used to visit Muslim Sheikh to cure illnesses or they kept some Quranic objects(frames of the Kallimah or Quran) in their homes. We left work little before 11 that night, and agreed to continue next day. Islam and its influence in my part of Africa would have been the topic to be discussed on.

 

I went home and slept like baby- until the phone started ringing. I ignored it 1st as I thought would be a call from back home asking money, but then it kept ringing.... I finally drag my self answered it. My cousin on the other end kept saying did you see what's going on in NY. I turned on the TV and literately glued on to it for god knows how long. When I came back to work that day, my African friend was livid, asking me how could Muslims done this. Foaming from his mouth and suggesting all kind of things, target mecca and what not. Couldn't believe what got him or why of all people is he talking about this. Not even the Americans were that angry. I was mad at him, I started swearing at him like hell "how could he even utter such and blames Muslims without even knowing what has happened." After heated argument, we were both escorted to the boss' office and were told to cool it off. For the following weeks, the whole work place became so hostile, and despite the fact the management tried to control employees' opinion as much as they could, but that didn't stopped the print outs, the sarcasm, and some times people(including my African bro) camping to a corner and do some sort of prayers, specially at break times. For weeks we haven't talked, but as things settled down a bit, he came and apologized, our discussions and chit chats however, were never been the same.

 

Other than those early days when emotions were high, I haven't personally found my self in any kind of situation where I have been profiled or denied opportunity. That being said, It indeed changed the world and our lives as whole.

[Baashi]

Northerner awoowe waan soo socdaa. No written offer yet but I have got the call. This time it will be four solid years if I can survive in office poiltics.

 

I really don't know how you put up with the uncertainty and job insecurity in the UAE employment market. Tough thing to do I tell ya.

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

The famous Falling Man

 

I was in my car listening to Minnesota Public Radio when I heard the news. At my work, few of my co-workers were crying that day. It is still surreal to me.

[Yunis]

Where on that date? I was fresh eyed new graduated from school a few months prior, and started work in Small town (Hoover city) out Side of Birmingham, Alabama. Just started to prepare shaax(with Qolfe iyo Hayle), as I turn the tv on. There it was Two huge building on fire, it was surreal. I felt pretty much the same way every one around the world felt, a terrible atrocity and lots of innocent pll died.

 

As it did with lots Muslims, it got very personal very quickly for me, co-workers questioning your believes, endless bashing of Islam at times overtly to intimidate, one co-worker will frequently leave small bible on my desk draws on regular basis. In those days I used drive from Alabama to Virginia where the fam lived to avoid the hustle on air travel. I remember I had to literally request a change of assignment to a different town to be save.

 

Is the world a better place as a result? No, it was horrible atrocity not because of the scale or the nature of the atrocity - but because of who the victims were. It may not be planes into buildings, but the similar type atrocities have been taking place around the world, Unless you where in Europe / north America or Japan. If you look back history for hundreds of years, there are plenty of atrocities around the world mostly committed by imperial powers. Its just that this time it took place in a country where this type of atrocity was immune to.

[N.O.R.F]

Baashi;745232 wrote:

Northerner awoowe waan soo socdaa. No written offer yet but I have got the call. This time it will be four solid years if I can survive in office poiltics.

 

I really don't know how you put up with the uncertainty and job insecurity in the UAE employment market. Tough thing to do I tell ya.

When will you be back saxib? Sounds like a good offer.

 

I have changed jobs a couple of times saxib. I have been lucky I suppose.

[Nina Fox]

I was at work and all I heard were people "uuhing and aahing" huddled up on my colleagues PC. The news online was kinda slow and there wasn't a TV nearby so when the second plane hit we all rushed to the nearest pub and watched it there. We were there till 9pm and did not notice the time subxanallah. I still got the image of people jumping from the Twin Towers enraved on my mind.

 

Conspiracy theory or not----I believe without a shadow of a doubt Bush was behind this. He just wanted an excuse to attack Iraq and this was a great excuse....