9/11 Anniversary: A Reflection on Religion, Extremism and Violence

Today marks the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, carried out by al-Qaeda. Nearly 3,000 people were killed after hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. The attacks were tied to al-Qaeda’s opposition to US influence in the Middle East, including America’s military presence in the region and support for Israel. The loss of innocent lives remains one of the starkest reminders of the human cost of extremist violence. On this anniversary, I reflect on the danger of allowing religious ideology to become a tool for intolerance, domination and violence. Whether the faith involved is Christianity, Islam or another religion, no belief should be used to justify terror or deny others their humanity.

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