Guest column: Six years of American Muslim outrage

As I look back on the tragedy of 9/11 six years ago, the horror and disbelief that I experienced then remains with me today as an emotionally traumatic event in my life. The outrage for me is twofold. First, as a baby boomer born in the United States, it was the only time that I experienced an attack by a foreign enemy on American soil. Second, as an American Muslim, I was deeply disturbed and offended that a group of extremists despicably committed this criminal act of violence, hijacking the name of Islam.

During the tumultuous days after Sept. 11, 2001, American Muslims not only mourned this tragic event, but also had to deal with the backlash of anti-Muslim sentiments and hate crimes.

We found ourselves having to explain that Islam in fact condemns such acts of violence, as any other major religion would, that the actions of a few fanatics should not malign an entire faith, and that American Muslims are just as patriotic as their fellow citizens. But out of the ugliness of terrorism in our nation also came some of my most heart-warming moments on a personal level, thanks to the kindness, compassion and understanding of my friends and colleagues who share different faiths. I believe the fair-mindedness and inherent sense of justice that an informed American society can embody will overcome our collective shortcomings.

One part of this mixed bag of post 9/11 experience is a lingering perception that American Muslims have not expressed enough outrage and condemnation about these horrific attacks on our nation. I believe this misperception can be easily corrected as Muslims reach out and engage more with the American society at large. Outreach will give our nation a real opportunity to know its Muslim citizens on a personal level and not rely solely on the sensational headlines of the corporate media outlets.

As a matter of information, I’ll chronicle a mere sampling of what Los Angeles area Muslims have done in response to the tragic events of 9/11.