United We Progress

"It was a test, Zeitoun thinks. Who among us could deny that we were tested? But now look at us, he says. Every person is stronger now. Every person who was forgotten by God or country is now louder, more defiant, and more determined. They existed before, and they exist again, in the city of New Orleans and the United States of America... He can only have faith that will never again be forgotten, denied, called by a name other than his own. He must trust, and he must have faith. And so he builds, because what is building, and rebuilding and rebuilding again, but an act of faith?" 

Living in D.C., there have been constant reminders that tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Amped up security in the Metro as well as the news constantly replaying coverage of that morning ten years ago that changed the course of America. Comparisons between Then and Now are common - photos of Ground Zero ten years ago, dusty, rubble-srewn wreckage and today, a construction site showing signs of rebirth and rebuilding.

What I'm curious to see juxtaposed before and after this decade since 9/11 is the portrayal of and attitude towards Muslims, particularly those within American society. So complex is America's relationship with its self-acclaimed status as the great melting pot, a multicultural society, I feel there are numerous instances where for every step towards a more open, understanding tie to the "Muslim World", we have seen one or even two steps backward.

What do we envisage when we think "Muslim"? Or what about "Muslim American"? "Muslim World"? Do we tend to hold certain conceptions of Muslim women and men shaped by the media? After 9/11, my South Asian male friends would half-joke that they always had to do a real clean shave before boarding any flights. Have we seen a reduction in racial, or religious, profiling? Or have we just gotten better at concealing it? I'm still mulling over these and other questions. If anything, the ten years since 9/11 has at least brought us the recognition that we will continue grappling with these questions.

"As he drives through the city during the day and dreams of it at night, his mind vaults into glorious reveries - he envisions this city and this country not just as it was, but better, far better. It can be. Yes, a dark time passed over this land, but now there is something like light. Progress is being made. It's so slow sometimes, so terribly so sometimes, but progress is being made." 

- Quotes from Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers

(photo credit: Greek-Indonesian photographer Eirini Vourloumis has captured wonderful segments of Muslim life in America - from her focus on Latino Muslims to sharing the experience of Great Muslim Adventure Day.)