New York's Muslims reclaim their city after 9/11 backlash

In the years following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Muslims in New York City faced a wave of Islamophobia. Asad Dandia, a historian, experienced the backlash firsthand when a police informant infiltrated his family home, part of a surveillance program aimed at detecting Islamic extremism. Today, however, New York has undergone a transformation, with its first Muslim mayor, public prayers in Times Square, and new mosques rising across the city.

Asad Dandia, who leads walking tours centered on the city's Muslim communities, told AFP that while he mourns the 9/11 attacks, he recognizes that he is not responsible for them and does not deserve to be targeted for them. The Islamophobia that surged in the United States after the attacks led to increased public assaults and harassment against Muslims, many of whom stopped wearing visible markers of their faith to avoid discrimination.

In response, US authorities began monitoring Muslims, requiring thousands of men and boys to register with the government, resulting in some being deported. Despite the progress, Islamophobia still persists in New York, where around nine percent of the population is Muslim. However, Asad Dandia is optimistic about the growth of institutional power and recognition by other New Yorkers that Muslims are part of the city's fabric.