Muslim Americans Confront 25-Year 9/11 Legacy

As the United States marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Muslim and Arab Americans describe a lasting legacy of surveillance, profiling, harassment, deportations and doubts about their belonging. Recent incidents in Texas, renewed hostility toward Muslim public figures and Pew polling showing that negative views of Islam have grown since the months after the attacks indicate that Islamophobia remains potent, despite greater civic engagement and more than 255 American Muslims holding elected office. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to attend the city’s commemoration despite calls for his exclusion has focused debate over Muslim citizenship, memory and political acceptance. Personal accounts emphasize both the trauma of anti-Muslim abuse and the community’s organizing, religious identity and contributions to American life. The post-9/11 legacy also includes the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, domestic surveillance and newly released evidence that officials understated health risks from toxic air at Ground Zero. The attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda under an extremist interpretation of Islam, but Muslim leaders and analysts stress that this must not become collective blame against Muslims, who were also among the victims of 9/11 and subsequent terrorism.