More than 20 years after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon that sent shockwaves around the world, the tragedy and heroes of 9/11 will always be remembered. However, the aftermath altered the lives of many Muslim-Americans that continues to this day, and their experiences are often forgotten. 

For many Muslims in American communities, 9/11 brought an increased level of racial and religious discrimination resulting from the attack, still making many of them feel unsafe and unsure of their place in society. 

“9/11 is remembered as a tragic event for Muslims, as it was for every individual,” sophomore Reeyana Rahman said. “It spread fear through the community because of the backlash and potential backlash that came with it.” 

American Studies teacher, Swapna Gardner, still remembers the day vividly and recounts her experiences as a South Asian living in America.

“I was a freshman in high school in geometry class when my teacher came in and told me the World Trade Centers were attacked,” Gardner said. “I was a kid and confused about what was happening, it was sad and traumatizing seeing the footage on the news. Afterwards, there was an increased sense of patriotism for the country. As an Indian-American there was fear in my community because people were beginning to target people who looked like me.”

Born several years after the 2001 attacks, sophomore Suhaib Sabir believes 9/11 set up foundations for uneducated assumptions about Islamic practices and followers.

“Because it was such an unexpected incident and the media heavily publicized it, it gave a bad representation of our religion,” Sabir said. “People discriminate against us, an entire group of people, based on the actions of a few, and since 9/11 we’ve been given a bad image.”