What Does September 11 Mean?

I remember it well. Do you?

A friend called me and asked if I knew that a plane had flown into the first World Trade Center in New York, New York. Shortly after this a second airplane did the same. A third plane traveled to Arlington, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. and destroyed the plane by flying into the Pentagon building! (This was an American Airlines Flight 77.) And this attack occurred at 9:45 AM. It killed 125 people in this defense building along with 64 people in the airplane.

A fourth plane crash landed in a field (near my niece’s house) at Shanksville in Pennsylvania. As we understand the situation, there attempted to be an insurrection onboard. However, the plane turned over and headed to the ground at 500 miles per hour, crashing at 10:10 AM. Because of its end, we don’t really know where the plane was headed. Some 44 people died in this event.

In hindsight, we can say that radical Islamists or Muslims (of the al Qaeda variety) where seeking to make a statement by this attack. They were the ones who hijacked the planes and sought to do as much damage as possible to as many as they could—including Muslims.

All of this, obviously, was wicked. It was a very evil and sinful attack, and this would be the outlook by most people in the world, except for those people in Muslim countries where the citizens danced in the streets. But the question remains: Wasn’t this the result of sincerely-held convictions by devoted religionists? Shouldn’t we accept this as merely religious devotion?

It has been portrayed this way, especially by the media. However, we wonder: There were nineteen men who committed this dastardly act. We have read that they were financed by Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorist outreach. We understand that they traveled to Florida, deceiving their trainers, and learned as much as they could about flying airplanes at American flight schools. Others arrived in various other ways. Then we also understand that before they boarded their planes (which were used as weapons) they viewed pornography. Then they again were involved in massive deception in boarding the planes. They had no guns but box-cutters and knives in this inhumane attack and were not caught by security. The apex of their evil, of course, came when they murdered about 3,000 men, women, and children. (This was during the presidency of George W. Bush.) To be exact, some 2,996 people died which included the nineteen terrorists themselves. They all came from 78 different nations.

These nineteen Muslim terrorists knew what they were doing. They all claimed that they wanted to go to California. They took planes that had plenty of fuel so they could blow up their targets. They had morning flights that avoided later traffic. It was all well-planned. Their terrible deed was orchestrated not in the States but outside.

The first plane (an American Airlines Boeing 767), with some 20,000 gallons of gasoline, crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade center, about 8:45 AM. Then, 18 minutes later, the terrorists aimed and stuck the second tower—the Second Tower (it was United Airlines Flight 175).  As one source has it, “It immediately became clear that America was under attack.” Although this building was built to withstand winds of 200 miles per hour, it couldn’t withstand the thousands of gallons of fuel on board that brought unprecedented fires. This was true of both of these sky scrapers. Although nearly 3,000 people were murdered, we need to remember that 10,000 more had injuries from this atrocity. (See History.com.)

That night, George W. Bush, the American President, addressed the country. He declared, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of America resolve.” In a defiant manner, Bush laid the blame where it belonged. But it did take years (May 2, 2011) until Osama bin Laden was killed in his compound in Pakistan.

On July 22, 2004, the 9/11 Commission of America specified the person responsible for the attacks. It was Kahlid Sheikh Mohammad, the so-called mastermind and “principal architect of the 9/11 attacks.” He was sent to Guantanamo Bay detention center and awaits sentencing at this point. The cost to the World Trade Center has been 60 billion dollars and the clean up operation has been 750 million dollars. New York lost 143,000 jobs and the economy of New York fell dramatically. Seven billion dollars was given in compensation, 7.5 billion dollars was given for illnesses, as well as other compensations and costs. September 11 became known as “National Day of Service and Remembrance” in 2009. It has been called the worst terrorist attack in United States history.

(We have attempted to do justice to what we have read about the Terrorist attack on September 11, 2002, especially taken from the History.com article, but we are human and do make mistakes.)

We have arrived at another reminder of this wicked and evil scheme to destroy law-abiding citizens of a non-Muslim country. We continue to wonder. How could this wickedness be committed by devoted, albeit deranged, men who were part of a radical Muslim cult? Perhaps we should consider the following:

First, these men were devoted to Muhammad, a devoted false teacher of about 700 AD who lived in Arabia. This doesn’t mean at all that he orchestrated this attack which was financed and planned by Osama bin Laden and carried out by the radical Muslim Kahlid Sheikh Muhammad, but it does say that he figured in it and surely it would not have occurred without his legacy.

Second, these men (although radical Muslims) were hypocritical, viewing sexual pictures (pornography) on the very night before they carried out their wicked act. This should be a warning to us to be honest, truthful, and sincere in all of our dealings.

Third, these Saudi terrorists involved themselves in extensive acts of lying and deception under the name of false religion. They were hypocritical in the extreme, although we must admit that this was part of their evil religion.

Fourth, these men murdered nearly 3,000 people in these critical locations. Bible readers know that murders will have their part in hell—unless they repent (1 John 3:15).

Fifth, if we understand the situation, they were led by a radical but deceived and evil man by the name of Osama bin Laden (who was finally found and killed a few years ago). (See above.)

Sixth, many of the followers of these terrorists from other countries were both deceived and applauded by this sinful deed. They too will be held accountable by a holy and just God.

Seventh, sadly, the false teachers of Islam were promoted by this evil. Radicals applauded this evil act.

Eighth, the radically false (but wealthy) leader by the name of Osama bin Laden promoted and helped to finance this atrocity.

Ninth, the pride of Islam increased, the pride of the perpetrators increased, and the pride of America increased. Sadly, we know that Jesus and the Bible warns greatly against this great sin. (Proverbs 16:5, 18)

Tenth, billions of dollars in compensation has been paid to the survivors, their families, those with medical treatments, cancer victims, and all of those involved but (as far as we know) this has not been paid by either Saudi Arabia, al Qaeda, Pakistan, or others.

As to just what this disaster can teach us, especially as we have a better look at this from a distance, we offer the following:

1. We need to be vigilant against aggression by the enemy at all times.
2. We need to avoid pride and arrogance that makes one so prone to evil and retaliation with such situations as this.
3. We can see the evils of the original beliefs of this false religion more clearly.
4. We can observe the wickedness of this terrorist organization and those who stand behind it.
5. We must never let up our guard against the dangers in the world and know that often they come to us in unexpected ways and with unusual threats.
6. We should be aware that atrocities such as this might cost us dearly with loss of finances, loss of jobs, loss of material goods, and especially loss of lives.

We call on all of our readers to bear these important lessons in mind now and in the coming years.

 

https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks

Answering Jihad (A Better Way Forward), Nabeel Qureshi, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 2016.

Other sources were also consulted.