What 9/11 Means to Me (Vishwajeet Singh)
I was not born at the time of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. I don’t have an actual memory of 9/11 like many people do, of where I was, etc. I learned about it a lot later in my life, from people I met, from what I heard, read and learned in my childhood.
I just remember 9/11 being a thing that I heard about when I was a kid. I did know that there was a big terrorist attack in the United States, but I did not really have an understanding of its bigger picture. As I moved in my schooling, and gained a better knowledge of the world, I began to realize that 9/11 was not just an attack on the United States. It changes the perception of terrorism, security, and international relations in the world.
I also know, from my own background in India, the significance of the issues of terrorism and security. Having lived in India for a long time, I had seen and felt the impact of terrorism and violence there for a very long time and it was quite clear to me that intelligence, security and international cooperation was even more important after 9/11.
When I decided to pursue my Master’s Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies, I gained new insights in my understanding. In my Masters I studied terrorism, insurgency, extremism, intelligence, international security, conflict and counterterrorism in much greater detail. Started to see events such as 9/11 in a different light. I considered it as a historical phenomenon rather than just a fact of life, and began to ponder the nature of terrorist organizations, the possibility of intelligence failures, what those might look like, how they can occur, and who would be responsible for them, how governments react to terrorism, whether they fail to respond, and how and why their response might be inadequate and how that response might influence the nature of a society and international politics.
What is noticeable to me is that the effects of terrorism are not just the acts of violence themselves. Terrorism also inflicts fear, mistrust, and divides societies. That’s why I think counterterrorism should not be just about military action. It is also crucial to have strong intelligence, international cooperation, information sharing, prevention of radicalization and engagement with communities. I also feel that normal citizens should not be made to be insecure due to the acts of just a few. Fear turns to hatred and it can create new divisions. Community-to-community trust-building is also a significant aspect of long-term security.
Meanwhile, countering terrorism must be done with care. Dealing with terrorism is a must, but fear is not to become hatred against communities or groups of people. One should not see security and human dignity as opposites.
One of the most important lessons from 25 years following 9/11 to me is that the prevention of terrorism is a security and understanding matter. Threats must be identified, intelligence must be enhanced and cooperation must be extended on an international basis, but we must also gain insight into the factors that enable extremism and violence to flourish.
To me, 9/11 is, consequently, not a memory of childhood. It was a gradual event for me. I was not around to see it, but I remember studying terrorism and security later on in my life that I realised how much of an impact one event can have on the world for decades.
For me, it’s also about remembering the human toll of terrorism on 9/11. Those who succumbed to the violence, their families, and those impacted by the violence should never be forgotten. Meanwhile, remembrance should motivate us to create something better. I hope that my generation will remember and will opt for understanding, co-operation and peace instead of fear and division.
For my generation, the most important lesson is not just to remember 9/11, but to learn from what happened afterward. We should work towards a world where terrorism is confronted without allowing fear, hatred and division to grow.
These are my personal thoughts and understanding of 9/11, shaped by what I have learned and studied over the years.
IMAGE:- https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ATribute_in_Light_in_2010.jpg