Rev. Danny Fisher

Six years ago, nineteen members of the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda–fifteen of them from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt, and one from Lebanon–executed a coordinated series of suicide attacks on American targets using hijacked commercial airplanes. According to official reports, events transpired in this way: American Airlines Flight 11 was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, at 8:46 a.m. local time. Almost seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:37 a.m., American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Twenty-two minutes later, the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. At 10:03 a.m., United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in an open field near Shanksville, PA–150 miles away from Washington–after passengers aware of what was happening on the ground fought to regain control of the plane. Twenty-five minutes later, the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. And, finally, at 5:20 p.m, the 7 World Trade Center building collapsed after sustaining heavy damage from the falling of the towers.

All told, the attacks were responsible for the deaths of 2,994 people, including the hijackers. An additional 24 persons are listed as missing and presumed dead.

In the six years since this tragic and horrifying event took place, September 11th, 2001, has been mis/used to justify a number of troubling things, including the global “War on Terror” (which former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski recently credited with promoting a dangerous “culture of fear” in America); the Invasion of Iraq (even though it has been clearly demonstrated that Saddam Hussein had no connection to the event and that his country had no weapons of mass destruction); and the passage of the U.S.A. Patriot Act (which undermines Articles I and IV of the Bill of Rights, and threatens other basic human rights and civil liberties).

Looking back at this event now, I feel sad. We have allowed egregious things to happen in the name of September 11th, 2001–whether they really had anything to do with it or not. We’ve been careless with the memories of those lost on that devastating day. We owe them something better than this.

I remember thinking at the time that September 11th, 2001, might force us all to think more seriously about communication, retributive-versus-restorative justice, and the effects of certain foreign policies. It seems that the opposite happened. We put things in even simpler terms (“they’re evil-doers,” “they hate freedom,” and so on), and waged war against a vaguely described enemy. Rather than sit with our feelings and questions and go from there, we went the impulsive, aggressive, and self-interested route. Furthermore, we allowed some of our supposed leaders–those with extremely dubious motives–to hide behind “9/11″ and its emotional charge, and manipulate us into dangerous, compromising situations.

Things need to change. We can do better. We have to do better.

Today I’ve been re-reading two pieces of writing that touched me deeply in the days following September 11th, 2001. You might call them prayers for understanding and peace. Although my country has not really proceeded in their spirit, I would say that it’s never too late for a course correction.

The first is the speech delivered by the Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh at New York City’s historic Riverside Church on September 25th.

In Buddhism we speak of the practice of deep listening, compassionate listening, a wonderful method by which we can restore communication–communication between partners, communication between father and son, communication between mother and daughter, communication between nations. The practice of deep listening should be taken up by parents, by partners, so that they can understand the suffering of the other person. That person might beour wife, our husband, our son, or our daughter. We may have enough good will to listen, but many of us have lost our capacity to listen because we have a lot of anger and violence in us. The other people do not know how to use kind speech; they always blame and judge. And language is very often sour, bitter. That kind of speech will always touch off the irritation and the anger in us and prevent us from listening deeply and with compassion. That is why good will to listen is not enough. We need some training in order to listen deeply with compassion. I think, I believe, I have the conviction, that a father, if he knows how to listen to his son deeply and with compassion, he will be able to open the door of his sons heart and restore communication.

People in our Congress and our Senate should also train themselves in the art of deep listening, of compassionate listening. There is a lot of suffering within the country, and many people feel their suffering is not understood. That is why politicians, members of the Parliament, members of the Congress have to train themselves in the art of deep listening–listening to their own people, listening to the suffering in the country, because there is injustice in the country, there is discrimination in the country. There is a lot of anger in the country. If we can listen to each other, we can also listen to the people outside of the country. Many of them are in a situation of despair, many suffer because of injustice and discrimination. The amount of violence and despair in them is very huge. And if we know how to listen as a nation to their suffering, we can already bring a lot of relief. They will feel that they are being understood. That can diffuse the bomb already.

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“We are ready to listen to you. We know that you must have suffered a lot in order to have done such a thing to us. You may have thought that we are the cause of your suffering. So please tell us whether we have tried to destroy you, whether we have tried to discriminate against you, so that we can understand. And we know that when we understand your suffering, we may be able to help you.” That is what we call in Buddhism “loving speech” or “kind language,” and it has the purpose of creating communication, restoring communication. And with communication restored, peace will be possible.

The second is from another of my heroes, the great singer-songwriter-poet Patti Smith. Her reflections on September 11th, 2001, appeared in Interview Magazine‘s first issue published after the attacks.

We are still the children of Babel. Speaking in divided tongues, unable to comprehend one another. The cries amongst the rubble of that colossal wreck are our own. Babel’s tower possessed the collective imagination of Man. But they unlawfully penetrated the dreams of God. Their ability to communicate was confounded to punish them for a lack of humility. Perhaps when we humble ourselves as a People, we will communicate again.

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For the first time since the attack, I enter a subway. I go as far as Broadway & Nassau and walk to Liberty Street. I have my first view of Ground Zero. I come here with some reservation, as I do not wish to trespass. But I want some answer to a question vaguely formed. Like a child I want to see them, or what is left of them, and say goodbye. I also believe they will tell me something of why I care for them so much, why I miss them, and how they should be remembered. In this pursuit I am granted this vision: from Liberty Street I see their skeletal remains, resembling Brueghel’s portrait of Babel. Atop them, two twisted fingers reach heavenward in the perfect shape of a V. The simple sign for Peace

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May we ask for wisdom and, in possessing it, the moral courage to exercise it.

May we ask to be emptied of hate so to attain harmony.

May we strive to comprehend one another.