The Imam: 15 Years Later 'There Is More Fear and Suspicion'
Imam Muhammad Musri of Florida tried to dissuade Pastor Terry Jones when he sparked an outcry in 2010 over his plan to burn Qurans on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. There was a climate of hate then – but it’s only gotten worse, said Musri.
Jones was a fringe figure in 2010, but his ideas have become mainstream. "This year, since the attacks on Paris and San Bernardino and Trump’s statements, it changed everything. It became visible hate,” said Musri. He added, “For American Muslims, 9/11 is a day we will never forget. It was a tragic event that was so historic that it changed our lives overnight, … While we are 100 percent committed to the U.S. as our country, the percentage of Americans who think otherwise has risen over the past 15 years. And today, the vast majority of Americans question our commitment, either openly or to themselves. They think that Muslims could not be loyal to this country, and Muslims have a different agenda, which is false.”
This year’s 9/11 anniversary coincidentally falls right before the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, which begins the evening of Sept. 12. During Sunday’s services, Musri said he would touch on the attacks and will note that many people who lost their lives on that day were Muslims too. In addition, he said, “We will be talking about remembrance of tragedy on 9/11 and how 15 years later things are not better but there is more fear and suspicion today than before and what should we do about it — reach out to our neighbors, invite the outside community through open mosques and open houses to engage the people and let them know who we are and there is no reason for this fear because we are all on the same team, against terrorism and trying to protect our homeland.”