The 9/11 terrorist attacks and our pending task as global community

September 11, 2001, is a day forever etched in my memory, as an 11-year-old living in Germany. The images of the collapsed Twin Towers on the television screen were jarring and unforgettable. However, I was convinced the tragedy would fade from my mind by the next day. Instead, the impact of the attacks resonated far beyond the United States, marking a turning point in international politics.

Twenty-five years later, I offer my condolences to the nearly 3,000 victims, their families, and all those who suffered due to the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. It is also crucial to remember the approximately 6,000 U.S. soldiers and allies who lost their lives in Afghanistan after the attacks. Over the past two decades, 51,000 Afghan civilians have been killed, and five million have been displaced from their homes.

The attacks created division and stigmatization, particularly for Muslims living in the West. Terms like "Jihadists," "Islamists," and "Islamic terrorism" became associated with Muslims. These labels are misleading, as the religion of Islam means "peace" and its teachings categorically condemn terrorism. The term "Sharia," often misunderstood, simply means the path or way of life prescribed by Islam and does not imply imposing Islamic law on non-Muslims.

The 9/11 attacks have created invisible barriers in our coexistence as humanity. Sadly, a quarter of a century later, the wounds continue to deepen, and some voices advocate for a return to a medieval era. However, military interventions in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza have not brought peace or eradicated terrorism but have instead exacerbated the situation. These interventions have created environments of economic, political, and social instability that foster extremism.

Terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS emerged in response to these conditions, and their rise is not a coincidence. The West's recent failure in the war against terrorism highlights the need to address the root causes of extremism, such as frustration, corruption, injustice, and a lack of transparent leadership. To build a more peaceful future, we must reject tolerance for terrorist groups and extremist ideologies and instead focus on creating stable, just societies where all individuals can thrive.