Pakistanis, Muslims reflect on Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
By Hayley Sanders
Old Gold and Black Reporter

In light of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., many are still searching for the possible causes of the tragedy. The campus has responded with a heightened curiosity of cultural and religious differences between the United States and the Muslim world.

Freshman Moeen Khan, who grew up and lived in Islamabad, Pakistan before coming to school this fall, has a unique perspective.

“Pakistan is my home state and is much different than Afghanistan,” Khan said. “I grew up in an Islam family, yet Pakistan has much more religious freedom, which makes a great difference, and also has much more tolerance and a willingness to accept change in the world, compared to Afghanistan.”

Khan said that Afghanistan focuses on the strict adherence to fundamentalist Islam as opposed to the state of its economy and the wide-spread poverty. Having met Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Khan noted that their lack of education fuels their blind acceptance of the ideas of the Taliban government.

“Most importantly, Islam definitely does not teach us to carry out this kind of violence,” Khan said. “Islam preaches peace.”

Khan also expressed grave concern for the predicament his home country now experiences by being caught between two worlds.

“Pakistan is stuck in the middle,” Khan said. “On one hand we want to support America because it’s the right thing to do. What happened was a tragedy for anyone who has any sort of a conscience.”

According to Khan, economic concerns contribute to Pakistan’s decision to side with the United States, although that conflicts with Islamic ideals.

He said, “It would help our economy and country, (to side with the United States), which we desperately need due to sanctions imposed in 1998, the lack of a middle class and general poverty among the lower classes. On the other hand, we are an Islam nation and there is a definite danger of civil war between those fundamentalists who live in our country and those who support America.”

Having lived in both Pakistan and the United States, Khan has been struck by the stark contrasts in culture, social classes and education.

“While the upper class is educated and knows what is going on in the world, there are still lots of lower class people I’ve interacted with have no education and believe that supporting America is an attack on Islam,” Khan said. “Islamabad is the safest city in the country because it’s full of government officials and diplomats. However, we do still see violence on a fairly regular basis.”

During his interactions with Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Khan noted the incredible desperation apparent in most of their lives, visible through their standard of living and outlook on life.

“A person who has nothing to lose is the most dangerous kind of person,” Khan said. “Afghans literally feel like they have nothing to lose. Their lives are so bad and desperate, they don’t care if they die. The fundamentalists there worship Bin Laden as a God figure. Yet people follow him and believe what he teaches, because they don’t have the awareness or education to know any better. They are mindless.”

One of his acquaintances from home stayed in Afghanistan a few years ago and testified to the fact that his followers protect him “extremely well.”

“A few years ago, I knew this guy who had visited Afghanistan and said that even if you point a finger at Osama Bin Laden and are one of his followers, they immediately kill you,” Khan said. “It’s completely misguided and mad.”

On Sept. 6, Khan visited New York City, a place he loves. Six days later, Khan personally felt the pains of the tragedy, when several people he knew were directly affected.

“One of my friends was on a flight from Pakistan to America on Sept. 11, and his flight was rerouted to North Korea, his bags were thrown open and he was questioned. He stayed there for four days and was really scared,” Khan said. “Another friend was in the world trade center and happened to leave five minutes before the building crashed. He was in complete shock when I talked to him.”

“Finally, one of our family friends from Pakistan was killed in the building,” Khan said. “It made everything so much more real, because we knew him. His family came over from Pakistan desperately trying to call his cell phone and get an answer, as well as search every hospital in the area. He had just graduated and was there for an interview. It makes you again ask yourself how could this happen?”

In a more specific way, the Muslim community in Winston-Salem had similar and naturalreactions of shock that echoed Khans’, as well as the nation’s emotions.
Bashir El-Beshti, an associate professor of English, is another member of the university community who has ties to the Muslim world.

“I’m originally from Libya, but came to the states in the 1970’s and have been at the university since 1990,” El-Beshti said. “I was raised a Muslim and like everyone else, my reaction is one of deep shock. It’s unbelievable what happened. It’s almost surreal. The small Muslim community on campus and in Winston-Salem overall had the same reaction.”

El-Beshti estimates that within Winston-Salem, up to forty Muslim families, who frequent two different mosques, reside.

“These people who committed this heinous act certainly do not represent Islam and beyond that they certainly violate the teachings of Islam,” El-Beshti said. “Any Muslim with even a rudimentary knowledge of Islam would recognize this is an abhorrent violation of the teachings of Islam.”

While El-Beshti expressed a common disbelief and horror, he also expressed tolerance to counter possible discrimination, which many Muslim Americans will unjustly face, and stressed tolerance. While no reports of discrimination or hatred aimed at Muslims have surfaced on campus, they have appeared on a broader scope in our nation.

“There have been more than 800 reported cases of discrimination and hate crimes, even a few murders against Muslims,” El-Beshti said. “There has been a kind of climate of fear that has resulted among all of this. It’s a shame that people don’t know better. The same people who profess to fight terrorism, which itself is based upon blind hatred, would react to such abhorrent terrorism by committing acts that are similarly based upon hatred. Fortunately, on a personal level, the Muslim community on campus has gotten calls to offer any help and lend any support. It’s been reassuring and moving.”