CHANCES KEEPING THE SUMMER
TEMPERATURES AROUND FOR A PRETTY
GOOD WHILE, GUYS.
>> Priya: THANK YOU, PAUL.
>>> TIME NOW 6:46.
9/11 WAS THE DAY THAT CHANGED
EVERYTHING.
FOR MOST MUSLIMS IT IS A STARK
REMINDER HOW IT CHANGED THINGS
FOR THEM IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY.
>> Grant: MANY FELT SCRUTINIZED
AND PROFILED SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY
HAVE TO BE MUSLIM.
PAULA TUTMAN TAKES A LOOK AT
WHAT IT FELT TO BE A VISIBLE
MUSLIM POST 9/11.
>> Reporter: IF YOU WOULD SAW
ME FOR THE FIRST TIME.
YOU WOULD MAKE IMMEDIATE
JUDGMENT, YOU MIGHT SAY, THAT IS
PAULA TUTMAN FOR CHANNEL FOUR,
OR A SHORT WOMAN OR NOISY WOMAN.
HOW WOULD IT CHANGE IF I WORE AN
IMTA OR COVERED MY HEAD WITH A
HIJAB.
AND YOU’RE SEEING ME FOR THE
FIRST TIME AND DIDN’T KNOW
ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT ME?
WHAT WOULD YOUR JUDGMENTS BE?
WHAT YOUR PERCEPTION OF ME BE?
FOR SO MANY AMERICANS WHO HAPPEN
TO BE MUSLIM, THEY KNOW HOW
THEY’RE SEEN SINCE 9/11.
>> IT IS THE WAY THEY LOOK AT
YOU.
IT IS THE WAY THE HEADS TURN.
>> Reporter: THEY SEE IT IN THE
EYES AND THE FACES OF SO MANY
NON
NON-MUSLIM AMERICANS.
>> YOU SEE PEOPLE MAKE COMMENTS.
YOU HEAR THEM MAKE COMMENTS.
>> Reporter: HAIL LA REMEMBERS
THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH
VERY WELL.
SO DOES HER MOTHER.
>> I HEADED TO MY OFFICE AND
BROKE TOWN.
>> Reporter: SO DOES, LIVING IN
COLORADO AT THE TIME.
>> I NEVER FORGET THAT MORNING.
I WAS TAKING MY CHILDREN TO TAKE
THEM TO SCHOOL.
AND THE TV WAS ON.
AND I LOOKED AT THE TV AND THE
FIRST PLANE WENT INTO THE
BUILDING.
SO BY THE TIME I TOOK THEM TO
SCHOOL AND CAME BACK, THE WHOLE
WORLD CHANGED.
>> Reporter: AND IN THEIR SHOCK
AND GRIEF, LIKE MOST EVERY OTHER
AMERICAN ON THAT DAY, THE PAIN,
THE NUMBNESS, THE DISBELIEF,
THEY EXPERIENCED SOMETHING IN
ADDITION.
WRATH.
>> MY HOUSE WAS ATTACKED.
MY CAR WAS ATTACKED.
PEOPLE BEGAN THROWING PIG’S
BLOOD.
PIG’S HEAD.
ALL KINDS OF THINGS AGAINST THE
ISLAMIC CENTER.
SO IT WAS PANDEMONIUM.
>> Reporter: FOR THE SO CALLED
VISIBLE MUSLIM.
>> LIFE WAS A LOT EASIER.
A LOT EASIER TO TAKE CARE OF
BUSINESS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
>> Reporter: THE 20 YEARS SINCE
9/11.
>> WE WOULD WALK IN WITH A
HIJAB.
>> Reporter: BOARDING A PLANE AN
ORDEAL.
>> EVERYBODY IS TURNING HEADS
WONDERING IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE
SAFE.
>> WHEN YOU’RE VISIBLY MUSLIM,
PEOPLE PAY MORE ATTENTION TO YOU
WHEN YOU GET ON THE PLANE.
YOU SEE THE LOOKS AND THE SIDE
EYES.
>> Reporter: MOST EVERY PARENT
WILL HUG THEIR CHILD GOOD-BYE
BEFORE A BIG TRIP.
BUT FOR LILA, IT IS DIFFERENT.
BE SMART.
IT IS A DIFFERENT BE SAFE.
>> OKAY, MOM, I LOVE YOU.
>> THEY SEE YOU AS SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.
AS SOMEONE WHO DOESN’T BELONG.
WHEN I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE
AND I DESERVE TO BE HERE JUST AS
MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE DOES.
>> Reporter: EMAN IS WITH THE
ISLAMIC INSTITUTE OF AMERICA.
>> ALL OF THOSE MASS SHOOTINGS
THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN OUR
HIGH SCHOOLS AND MALLS AND
COLLEGES, WHAT DO WE CALL THEM?
WHY DON’T WE CALL THEM TERRORIST
ATTACKS?
WHY?
BECAUSE OUR MEDIA HAS THIS LABEL
READY ONLY FOR MUSLIMS.
IF SOMEONE IS NON-MUSLIM, IS
ENGAGED, NO, THEY DON’T USE THAT
LABEL.
AND THAT’S HOW THEY’VE BEEN ABLE
TO BRAIN WASH MANY AMERICANS BY
ASSOCIATING OUR RELIGION ISLAM
WITH TERRORISM.
>> TO KNOW HOW WE PRACTICE AND
HOW WE VALUE OUR FAITH AND OUR
TRADITIONS, TO WATCH SOMEBODY
HIGH JACK OUR FAITH AND SAYING
THEY’RE DOING IT IN THE NAME OF
ISLAM WAS SOMETHING THAT
SICKENED US.
>> Reporter: IN THIS HOME
THERE’S A BELOVED CHILD.
>> A, B, C, D --
>> Reporter: AND A BELOVED
ELDER.
>> AM I YOUR FAVORITE?
>> I’M YOUR FAVORITE.
>> YEAH, YOU ARE MY FAVORITE.
AM I YOUR FAVORITE?
>> Reporter: FOUR ALL AMERICAN
GENERALRATIONS.
SO AS THE NATION PREPARES TO
REMEMBER WHAT THEY HAVE VOWED TO
NEVER FORGET.
FOR MANY AMERICANS WHO HAPPEN TO
BE MUSLIM, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN
AN OPPORTUNITY TO FORGET.
>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT AT THE
END OF THE DAY, WE’RE ALL
AMERICANS, WE’RE ALL HERE TRYING
TO FULFILL OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE.
WE MAY LOOK DIFFERENT.
WE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT PRACTICES
AND DIFFERENT TRADITIONS, BUT WE
ALL WANT THE SAME THING, TO BE
SUCCESSFUL AND TO HAVE
OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL HELP US
TO FLOURISH AND TO BE THE PEOPLE
THAT WE WANT TO BE.
>> Reporter: SO ON THIS DAY, IN
EVERY CORNER OF THE UNITED
STATES, WE WILL BE REMEMBERING,
WE WILL BE COMMEMORATING.
BUT FOR SO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS
AND FELLOW AMERICANS WHO JUST
HAPPEN TO BE MUSLIM, THEY FEEL
ALL OF THAT AS WELL BUT ALSO
FEAR BECAUSE THIS DAY, THE 20TH
ANNIVERSARY, WHICH IS A SINGULAR
EVENT, ALSO PUTS ISLAMA PHOBIA
BACK ON THE RARDZ FOR THOSE WHO
CHOOSE HATE OVER A RELIGION OR
FOR A RELIGION THAT HAD NOTHING
TO DO WITH THIS.
IT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH
THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO
PERPETRATED IT.
GUYS.
>> Priya: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
THAT POWERFUL STORY AND THE
OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR, YOU KNOW,
FROM FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY, OUR
NEIGHBORS, THANK YOU SO MUCH,
PAULA.
>> Grant: IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO
HEAR FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES
AROUND US.
>> Priya: OUR NEIGHBORS.
>> Grant: YEAH, OUR NEIGHBORS