Have you ever seen something so horrifying, so disheartening, that you couldn’t even bring yourself to look away? Well, that was most of the population on September 11, 2001. Most were absolutely stunned, not able to even process what they just witnessed. In “From Terror to Hope,” by Kristin Lewis, we learn about a young girl who witnessed the September 11 attacks. Not only were thousands of innocent lives taken on that day, but soon after, a certain religion called Islam was attacked. In the end, though, September 11 made our country a whole again. Helaina Hovitz was 12 years old on the day of the attacks. The day started out as a normal day for her, walking to school with her friend. She was in first period science when suddenly a hijacked plane hit the North Twin Tower, and soon another hit the South Tower. Her school, being only a few blocks from the towers, was soon evacuated. She ran through the streets with her neighbor, Charles, and his mother, Ann, trying to get home. “Out on the street, Helaina felt like she’d been plunged …show more content…
After 9/11, many people though the whole Muslim community was responsible because they did not know the difference between the terrorist groups and the peaceful groups. The Muslim religion revolves around peace, but the extremists believe that Allah is telling them to terrorize people and things. People would be rude to RJ, saying that just because he was Muslim he would basically go no where. “I grew up hearing that Muslims are terrorists. I didn’t see Muslims like me on TV or in the movies: the Muslims on the screen were evil” (Khalaf 10). RJ tried to run for student council president, to which one student replied, “If you vote for RJ, you obviously enjoy 9/11” (Khalaf 10), which is completely uncalled for. One’s religion does not automatically deem them unfit for society, or not worth your friendship or kindness. We’re all the same, no matter what we believe