Op/ED: Divided, We Fall

By Tahera Sajid

A children’s coloring book, "We Shall Never Forget 9/11 - The Kids' Book of Freedom" has sparked much controversy lately. It claims to be a memorial tribute to the victims of 9/11, but many are questioning its deeper agenda.

The book's publisher, Wayne Bell, has denied the book advocates anti-Muslim sentiment as quoted on ABC News, "This book under no way… zero, zero… no way… mentions Islam or Muslims…it does not mention Islam in generalities..." and that the book was "created with honesty, integrity, reverence, respect and does not shy away from the truth."

However, a cursory glance through the book speaks another tale.

The phrase "radical Islamic Muslim extremists" appears 10 times in the book. It claims, "These attacks will change the way America deals with and views the Islamic and Muslim people around the world…", connecting all Muslims to 9/11 making no attempt to distinguish between the small minority engaged in promoting violence and the wide majority of peaceful Muslims worldwide.

The attacks have indeed influenced the American foreign policy towards Muslim countries, but the last decade has also brought us the sad reality of how Americans now view their fellow countrymen with on suspicion and fear. This has not only alienated huge sections of society but also pitted communities against each other, creating fissures in the beautiful mosaic of ethnicities, cultures and faiths that America has always been proud to host.

The book goes on to declare, "Children, the truth is, these terrorist acts were done by freedom-hating radical Islamic Muslim extremists. These crazy people hate the American way of life because we are FREE and our society is FREE."

The reality, however, is that 9/11 and its subsequent events have been perpetrated by individuals who used their religion as an excuse to further their personal agendas. If the supremacy of Islam is cited as their main motivation, why do these self-proclaimed defenders of faith continue to kill innocent Muslim men, women and children in staggering numbers in Muslim countries? Terrorism is about power and control.

Throughout history, and today, terrorists of all affiliations continue to use various excuses to further their own interests – KKK, anyone? Timothy McVeigh? Anders Brevik?

We need to pause for a moment and make sense of the cacophony of messages we receive from multiple sources, and reflect on the far reaching effects of the decisions we make today, for they will shape the future of our children. The periodic resurfacing of these agendas may be the price of living in a free society, but freedom comes with responsibility.

It is time we allowed ourselves to heal, rejecting agendas that encourage further disintegration of our societal fabric.

The publisher's claim that the book has already sold out of its first print run of 10,000 copies should be a cause of alarm for us. I can only hope more parents will refuse to pass on this legacy of hate to their children. I hope they will opt for respectful engagement instead because we owe our children a future full of hope, not regret.

Tahera Sajid is a Sharon resident.