A quarter-century has passed, but September 11 still lives in my bones. I lived it not as a distant news story, but as a Muslim, an Indonesian immigrant, and a New Yorker riding the R train that Tuesday morning.
Since that painful and sorrowful event, I have spent much time in deep reflection, contemplating what happened, how it happened, and why it happened.
In the end, I have come to the conclusion that it is indeed important to remember and never forget. But more important still is to learn the lessons and wisdom we can draw from it, lessons that can guide us in living and in building a better world, today and for the future.
Here are seven lessons that can guide us today and for the future:
First, evil certainly has no religion, but we will be held accountable for it.
The hijackers claimed Islam, but they never represented us, our Prophet, or our Holy Book. Yet after that day, every Muslim in America became an involuntary spokesperson for Islam.
The lesson I learned is we cannot afford to be passive about our faith. If we do not define Islam through our character, our service, and our honesty, others will gladly define it through their crimes.
Second, “Qalu Salama” is not just a verse in the Holy Quran, it is a survival strategy.
“Wa idza khathabahumul jahiluna qalu salama” (And when the ignorant address them harshly, they reply with words of peace)- Qur’an 25:63
In the first hours after the attacks, a driver who gave me a ride from Manhattan to Queens ranted, “Crazy Muslims,” not knowing I was Muslim. On the streets, sisters had their hijabs torn off, brothers were assaulted, mosques were vandalized.
In that moment, anger was natural. But I learned that peace is more powerful. Responding with dignity: “My brother, we will be fine” disarmed hatred in a way argument never could.
Third, Isolation is dangerous, engagement is protection.
Before 9/11, many of our mosques lived in isolation, praying inside, but disconnected outside. After 9/11, those that had built bridges with other communities; churches, synagogues, city hall and Police Department were the ones protected by their neighbors.
I learned that citizenship is not separate from our faith. We must be present not only in the masajid, but in city hall, in public schools, in newsrooms, in markets, and in neighborhood associations.
Fourth, One sentence in the media can burn down twenty years of trust.
I still remember Wolf Blitzer’s words on CNN that morning: “New York is under attack by Islamic terrorists,” aired over old, unrelated footage of hijabi women cheering. That single image cemented an association that took decades to undo.
That reminds me, if we do not tell our own story, someone else will tell it for us. Muslims must master media, not fear it. We must build our own platforms, train our own spokespeople, and open our doors before the cameras arrive.
Fifth, A crisis can become a da’wah.
Paradoxically, the most hateful moment for Muslims in America became the moment of greatest curiosity about Islam. Thousands walked into mosques for the first time asking for a Qur’an. Many who once hated Islam became its strongest sympathizers and defenders after simply meeting a Muslim neighbor.
Allah turns “mihna” (a trial) into “minha” (a gift), but not by itself. It requires us to open our doors, soften our hearts, and turn pain into engagement and education.
Sixth, Justice must be universal, or it is not justice.
“Wa la yajrimannakum shana’anu qawmin ‘ala alla ta’dilu. I’dilu, huwa aqrabu littaqwa” (Let not hatred for a people prevent you from being just. Be just, that is nearer to righteousness.” [Qur’an 5:8]
We condemned the murder of 3,000 innocent souls on 9/11 because life is sacred. But our moral credibility depends on condemning the murder of innocents everywhere, whether in New York, Afghanistan, Iraq, or Palestine. Selective justice is no justice at all.
Seventh, America is bigger than its hateful voices.
That day I was rescued by a stranger who gave me a ride, and embraced by my elderly Irish-Catholic neighbors who hugged me and said, “We don’t believe Muslims did this.”
Today, when a provocateur like Jack Lang tears a Qur’an in a Black church in Harlem, he does not represent America or the teachings of Jesus Christ, just as those terrorists claiming Muslims, do not represent Islam.
America at its best is that neighborly embrace, not that hateful stunt.
In the end, the anniversary of 9/11 should not be a contest of pain or a platform for hatred and division. It should be a day of “muhasabah” deep introspection.
A day to ask: how do we build a better New York and a better America, together?
Finally, together we can and we will “Make America Kind Again” (MAKA). God willing!
New York, 11 September 2026
*A Proud New Yorker
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