My dear friend, Hamdan, wrote this article for published newspaper on conjunction of 9/11 memorial. He studies mathematics and economics at Pennsylvania State University, is the Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Council of the Muslim Student Association of the United States.

A Muslim-American Perspective On The Anniversary Of 9/11
By M. Hamdan Azhar Yousuf, September 11, 2004

This week, we commemorate the third anniversary of September 11th. We remember the selfless heroism of the rescue workers who were sacrificed in the line of duty. We pride ourselves on how this nation bonded together after the attacks. It is such things that make one proud to be an American, for truly as even the Frenchman de Tocqueville noted during his visit in the 18th century what makes America great is its people.

As we look back on that fateful day, we cannot help but mourn our loss. Whenever I pass by ground zero , I often find myself overwhelmed as I ponder over the thousands of lives extinguished by that single act of evil. And the tens of thousands of lives extinguished by other acts of evil, designed to avenge that initial act of evil. The perpetuity of the cycle of violence never ceases to disappoint me.

Often feelings of blind patriotism tend to obscure the true significance of 9/11. A modern philosopher once said: "My country right or wrong is like saying, my mother: drunk or sober". While naturally the citizen is expected to support his country, regardless of its moral state, the true patriot always desires the moral rectitude of his country, and struggles to attain this end. September 11th presented this nation with a unique opportunity. The United States could have forsaken its destructive ways and returned to the non-interventionist policy of self-preservation pursued by its founding fathers. America could have emerged a new nation, humbled by the colossal cost of empire. We could have joined the international community with our hand extended in peace.

The greatest tragedy of 9/11 is not what we lost on that September morning, but what we have lost since then.

Feeding us half-truths and distortions, our leader delved into this dirty war in Iraq, willing to send our young troops to the sacrificial altar, knowing that none of his loved ones would be at risk. Our cowboy-like president urged the insurgents to "bring it on", leading to over one thousand American losses. He must answer to the American people for his mismanagement of the nation's highest office and ultimately to God for his reckless disregard for the sanctity of human life.

Even now, three years after Mr. Bush vowed to capture bin Laden dead or alive, Al Qaeda and its leader still remain at large. Yet the bombs keep dropping, killing innocent women and children, and fermenting greater anger and outrage in the Muslim world. The fanatics on their side kidnap and execute civilians, and to be equitable, the extremists on our side torture and humiliate other civilians. The zealots on their side bomb gatherings of innocents, and we respond by bombing their homes.

Is this the promise of democracy? Founded as the Biblical 'city on the hill', America was envisioned by our founders to be a light for justice and equity, striving to eliminate oppression, and to better the world as a whole. Are we living up to these lofty ideals?

However numerous America's faults are, its people are not one of them. The American people are the most tolerant, diverse and freedom-loving people in the world. If September 11th had one benefit, it was that it stimulated people to think. People began to ask questions and wonder aloud why so many people hated America. This new awareness among the American people sparked outrage at the Justice Department's attack on civil liberties. Secret trials, eavesdropping on the Internet, racial profiling and mass detentions don't represent the essence of America. The American people understood that an America without freedom and liberty wouldn't be an America any of us would want to live in.

So, in a sense, America has changed since September 11th. The American people are now at the apex of geopolitical awareness. However, our government continues down the road of imperialism and belligerence. At times like this, it is helpful to look to history for guidance. In referring to the Roman Empire, a historian once noted that when a nation-state places greater emphasis on military ventures than it does on providing for its people, the nation-state has become an empire. This statement could not be more applicable to contemporary America, where, although poverty levels are on the rise, military expenditure continues to increase. So, as we approach the anniversary of "the day that changed us all," we should ask ourselves, did it really change us at all?