Post 9/11 post

Sep

12

Post 9/11 post

On 9/11/01 Dutch historian and U.S. expert Maarten van Rossem was asked to comment on the attacks on national television.

The reporter, who was more part of the hysteria on that day, than a reporting observer, asked:

“Are we at war? Is this the start of the third world war?”

Van Rossum replied

“No, of course not!”

It could also have been “don’t be silly!”, what would have been an even more appropiate response. Van Rossem went on how we should not overstate the impact of the attack itself and allthough it was a major tragic incident, it was an incident.

I understand that half of the Netherlands hated him for saying that, but i embraced his message. Not in the least because i was totally unable to keep calm during that day. Every American i knew, had to be e-mailed and i called one of my best friends who lives in Southern California.

“How are you? How is your family? I am so sorry that this has happened to you!”

It is a small miracle that these people are still willing to talk to me. I was a complete looney in those days. Apart from empathy with my friends, the people in New York city, Washington and all those Americans who made an profound impression on me during my trip through the U.S. in 2000, i felt anger. The lady who walked with me for ten minutes (while lecturing me about abortion, drugs and euthanasia) through Chicago to get me to Union Station did not deserve this. Nor did the elderly lady who chatted with me (while lecturing me about abortion, drugs and euthanasia)during a bus trip from Oakland to L.A. The dentist in Denver who saved me from a killing toothache didn’t deserve this. Steve and his mom, who makes the best damn chickensoup in Illinois, didn’t deserve this.

I’m still not over the fact that a lot of my islamic fellow countrymen could not feel the same way as i did during that time. In my mind there was and is no room for anything else than grief for the victims and utter disgust for the people who were responsible for this. There was and never will be room for uttering “yes but” in this matter. Not even the fact that the U.S. government used this tragedy as an excuse for starting a senseless war in Iraq and throwing away the most basic ethical principals.

I have been bashing the U.S. and it’s government a lot in the past few years. And the most important reason for that is the fact that i’m so frustrated over the fact that it only took 20 guys with hobby knives to kick this nation in half a decade of war. If the 20th century learned us anything, it is that a good soda brand, a cartoon mouse and rock ‘n roll are a far better ways to conquer the world than guns and bombs. All the terrorists in the world can’t take away our need to drink, laugh and boogy. A lot of Dutch muslims want that too. They are complaining that the bouncers of discoteques won’t let them in.

I have no doubt that at some point, it is the Netherlands turn to digest an terrorist attack. Since the 70’s, we already had a few of those. I hope that we will have the strength to get the guys responsible, mourn the victims and get on with our lives. I can’t think of a better way to kick these bastards right where it hurts.