9/11 Conspiracy Theorists Serve One Purpose
By Aaron Goldstein (09/09/07)
With the re-emergence of Osama bin Laden on video after nearly three years, telling America to "embrace Islam" just days before the 6th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States, I am reminded of the 9/11 conspiracy theorists who believe it was an entity other than bin Laden and al Qaeda who are responsible for these acts of terrorism.
Most of the 9/11 conspiracy theorists believe the Bush Administration was behind the attacks or permitted the attacks to occur. There are others who point the finger at the State of Israel. Don’t be surprised that if the list soon grows to include the Shriners and the Rotary Club.
9/11 conspiracy theorists will tell you that it was a missile, not American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon. Of course, they won’t tell you what became of Barbara Olson, the 52 other passengers and the six flight crew aboard. Rosie O’Donnell and company will tell you that 7 World Trade Center came down as a result of a controlled demolition. 9/11 conspiracy theorists might also tell you that United Airlines Flight 93 was shot down by the U.S. military. 9/11 conspiracy theorists might also tell you that United Airlines Flight 93 landed safely in Cleveland. Poet Amiri Baraka and other fellow travelers believe Israel had advanced knowledge of the 9/11 attacks and asked why then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to “stay away” from the World Trade Center? Whatever the 9/11 conspiracy theorists believe their proclamations ultimately serve one purpose: to absolve Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and the ideology of Islamic fundamentalism of responsibility for their heinous and infamous act.
Of course, this might not be the intent of every 9/11 conspiracy theorist. There are no doubt people who believe the preposterous scenarios I have described above and do so with the utmost sincerity. There are people whose hatred whether it be of the Bush Administration or of Israel (and quite possibly both) runs so deep that they are ready, willing and able to believe them capable of anything including carrying out an act of mass murder.
But there is a school of thought that believes that the attacks of September 11, 2001 were not carried out by Muslims. One such Muslim 9/11 conspiracy theorist who subscribes to this notion is Kevin Barrett, a former associate lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Of course, one need not be a Muslim to believe in 9/11 conspiracy theories but the Muslim mindset concerning 9/11 ought not be ignored. His views on 9/11 first became public when he wrote a letter to the editor to The Capital Times in Madison in February 2006. “As a Ph.d Islamologist and Arabist I really hate to say this, but I’ll say it anyway: 9/11 had nothing to do with Islam. The war on terror is as phony as the latest Osama bin Laden tape,” wrote Barrett. (www.unknownnews.org/060214a-Barrett.html) Barrett goes on to say that a bin Laden tape that appeared in December 2001 was not bin Laden because “he was at least 40 or 50 pounds heavier.” What? So Osama bin Laden was on the Slim Fast diet? He argued that bin Laden tape could have a “more sinister purpose.” What could that sinister purpose be? Why another “9/11 style attack designed to trigger a U.S.-Israeli nuclear attack on Iran.” In Barrett’s world and that of far too many Muslims (Arabic or not) all that is wrong with the world is the fault of those imperialist Americans and those sneaky Israelis. Barrett also stated he believed bin Laden to have “been dead since late 2001 or early 2002.” In light of this declaration, I suppose Barrett believes the new bin Laden video is also phony.
I am drawing attention to Barrett’s views because they are not unlike the sentiments expressed by the family and friends of Nonie Darwish, the author of Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror. Darwish was born and raised in Egypt, the daughter of Lieutenant General Mustafa Hafez, the top military commander in the Gaza Strip which was then under Egyptian control. Hafez was killed by Israeli Defense Forces in 1956 and it was his assassination that in part led to Egyptian President Nasser to nationalize the Suez Canal and precipitate an international crisis.
However, as an adult Darwish moved to the United States and would become disenchanted with Arab and Muslim hatred towards America and Israel. In Now They Call Me Infidel, Darwish recounts making phone calls to various relatives and friends living in Egypt after the September 11th attacks. She expected them to be as horrified at the attacks as she was but was in for a rude awakening. In conversations with her mother, sister, cousin, childhood friends, mentors and even an Egyptian government official, all of them either justified the attacks or blamed the attacks on Israel. Darwish writes:
These were some of the nicest, kindest people you could ever meet. Yet reaction to me ranged from defensive to hostile. Everyone showed some degree of satisfaction over what happened on 9/11. I was immediately shut up and told that 9/11 was orchestrated by Israel. Without exception, they were all angry with me for stating the simple facts: that the attack was committed by Arabs.
When Darwish tried to seek solace from Arabs and Muslims living in the United States she received a similar reception. It was this lack of willingness on the part of Arabs and Muslims in both in her native Egypt and in the United States to speak out against terrorism that prompted her to do it on her own. Darwish currently runs a website called Arabs for Israel (www.arabsforisrael.com). It is essentially a forum for Arabs and Muslims who support Israel and peace in the Middle East.
Out of respect for those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and their families I do not wish to dwell excessively on the ramblings of 9/11 conspiracy theorists. September 11th ought to be about two things. First, September 11th ought to be about remembering innocent people simply going about their business who lost their lives that day in the most barbaric and terrifying way imaginable. Second, September 11th also ought to serve as a reminder there are people ready, willing and able to kill us because they do not like our way of life and want us to submit to theirs. With these two things in mind, 9/11 conspiracy theorists serve only to minimize the acts of Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and Islamic fundamentalism. Their obfuscations are at best a nuisance and at worst an act of defamation.
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