by Philip Pfanstiel
Posted on Facebook tonight: “I’m watching documentaries on 9/11 and am amazed that its only been 9 years and we’re already forgetting. Forgiveness is important, but forgetting is societal suicide. We are a very forgiving nation – which is a strength, but we have the attention span of a chipmunk on caffeine, which is a major problem because history repeats it… what was I writing about again?”
As and after writing this update on Facebook an even more ominous question materialized: “What are the lessons of 9/11?”
This is a very difficult question to completely answer but if we fail to answer it fully we are destined to repeat history at some level.
The concerns of our immediate safety have been answered with some detail so I won’t go down this path. The increases in security, intelligence and awareness have kept America safe for nine years and as long as we stay on our guard the prayer is that we will continue in safety.
The problem that persists in my mind is whether we have answered or are even aware of the longer term issues. We know the who, what, when, where and how but we haven’t even gotten an elementary understanding of the why?
In my class I ask the students why did terrorists attack us and their answers, while naive, probably reflect the understanding of many Americans. “They hate freedom,” is the most common refrain.
I then proceed to delve into the more complicated interrelationships between our governmental policies in the last 50 years in the Middle East, the role the three monotheistic religions play and the nation of Israel. I also hint at the psychology/sociology of blaming some third party for all of ones woes – which is what the Islamic world has done by blaming Israel and the West for all their woes.
Long story short is not even I know the complete answers to “why” and I’m probably better informed then most. Maybe when and as I discover more I will write about it.
For now though, I do have one lesson that few have explored; immigration.
With the building of the Cordoba Mosque in NYC near Ground Zero there has been so much discussion about freedom of religion, tolerance and the like that I feel most people are forgetting that this isn’t just about religion, but has a lot to do with immigration.
A quick walk through the history of immigration in America reveals that every major group of migrants met with suspicion, hostility, and antagonism. As each group proved itself by working the more menial jobs, proving themselves productive and adopting American English and the culture of our country they traversed that most difficult of borders the one separating “us” and “them.”
Whether these immigrants were Catholic, Jewish, Hindu or Buddhist didn’t matter so much, once they had proven themselves and earned the trust of the communities in which they lived.
My own family’s history was that of a group of religious immigrants from Germany in the 1850s who sailed from Germany to New Orleans (where one of the four ships sunk with all passengers lost) and then up the Mississippi to St. Louis where my paternal ancestors worked, managed and then owned grocery stores. One way the German community earned America’s trust was by sending their sons to fight Germany and die for America in World War I and II. My grandfather built the boats used in World War II and my father was the first person in his family to get a college degree before serving in the Vietnam War. Since then every Pfanstiel has gotten at least a college degree.
So what does this have to do with 9/11? Is the Islamic community of migrants in America receiving flack and intolerance because of their religion or because they are recent immigrants? Or is it a little bit of both? And have they earned the trust of the community as a whole? The attacks of September 11th, while perpetrated by a minority of extremists, gave the whole religion of Islam a very bad reputation.
Is this fair? No more fair then the actions of a minority of Catholic priests has tarnished the whole Catholic Faith. No more fair then that a minority of greedy and/or lustful preachers have tarnished the whole Protestant Faith. Fair? No. But life’s not fair… deal with it.
But this is the problem that I’m seeing – it seems that instead of earning trust, paying their dues, working their way into the fabric of American society and culture that the Islamic community of migrants is demanding equality. Not just equality, but favoritism. And pardon me, but they haven’t earned it. All these rights that they are demanding… Name me the contributions of Arab Americans in American History? Name me the contributions to our economy in the past 50 years? I’m sure there are some but if they really want to earn the rights that they are demanding there needs to be a lot more working and a lot less whining.
Take, for instance, another more ubiquitous group of migrants; Hispanics. I know the debate on illegal immigration is a fierce one so I’ll not be addressing that in this article. Suffice it to say; however they got here, if this group continues to work hard, pay their dues, earn the trust of the community, learn the language and culture then they will one day be as accepted in America as the numerous other ethnic groups. In fact the reason for the debate on this immigrant population is not because of their culture, religion or color of their skin, the debate is because a minority of this group is involved in illegal, violent and destructive activities and others seem more loyal to their homeland then to their new home.
What I have noticed (in contrast to the Islamic community) is that many Hispanics realize this and are paying their dues and desiring to earn the trust of their new home. Many Latino men and women have given their lives for this country in the last decade as we fight Islamic terrorist.
Unfortunately, the few Islamic men that I’ve read about in our military have either refused to be deployed, or when deployed take out their fellow soldiers in fratricide (like what happened in Fort Hood last year).
What’s even scarier is that many of the Muslim adults that I’ve met in Texas believe that 9/11 was actually conceived and executed by the CIA, Mossad or some other non-Muslim agency. With all the evidence and even the admittance by Bin Ladin, it appears that loyalty to their religion trumps their allegiance to their new country and logic.
And now with this mosque debate very few people are debating the real issue. Has the Islamic community of immigrants earned the trust of America? Sure they are demanding their “rights”, and legally they have a case, but if they really want Americans to trust, accept and embrace them they need to be a lot less lawyery and a lot more loyal.
One way they can start earning our trust is to build the mosque further away from Ground Zero. I’m hoping someone has learned this lesson, but I’m not holding my breath.
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