Twin Towers

On the 11^th September 2001 I was one of the many people who survived the Twin towers attack. But I was only lucky as I was on the third floor of the building so it was a lot more easy to escape compared to others. But I still wasn't able to breathe as the amount of smoke in the building was toxic. People around me were losing arms and getting fatally injured and paper was flying around everywhere. I was listening to people make phone calls to their loved ones saying goodbye on my fight out of the building, it was horrible. In my head I was praying to God to protect me and keep me alive as I thought I would be one of the people who couldn't make it out of the building.

I was wondering to myself, why would God let this happen to me? Why did he let me come into work today? Why would he let all the people in the building have their lives taken? If God’s omnipotent and all powerful why could he not convince the terrorist bombers to change their mind and respect other people’s lives? If God is also omniscient and saw and knew what was going on why was I and about nineteen others the only survivors? If God is all loving why did he let the other workers in the building lose their lives in such a tragic way? I was upset because all of my work friends and people I did not know was not able to make it out alive like I did, and telling their loved ones the news broke my heart. If God is all loving why did many of their lives get taken so quickly? This was mostly a moral evil as the terrorist bombers were responsible for making two planes crash into both of the buildings taking many lives but why would God let these people do that?

God is the creator and ruler of the Universe, as a Roman Catholic I agree that Jesus suffered and maybe God wanted us to because we need to know the understanding of the suffering like he did. God also gave us free will which means people can choose therefore humans create the evil and suffering but maybe the terrorists that day thought that bombing the world trade center was the right thing to do to. They must have liked the thought of people suffering to show their belief in their own faith and that they would do anything for their own God. Jesus also argued for change and we can do the same, the prayer I said in my head that day was the prayer that saved my life. We don’t know why most people’s lives got taken so quickly that day. God probably wanted their suffering to end and they would've got the reward of eternal paradise when they died and if you were on the higher floors, God may have thought it was better to die quicker than suffer in pain for a longer time; he wanted them to be at peace.
HL @harl3yl

This is why I still believe in God because even though many other people in the building lost their lives, and he let this happen. The best explanation for it was that God gave us free will, we could avoid the evil and suffering by doing god acts and loving one another and showing God that we don’t deserve to suffer. God also spared my life because in my prayer I was telling him how I wasn't ready to die and he saved me. The terrorists may have been tempted by their own God or the devil to bomb the buildings. For the people that did lose their lives, God put them at peace they got the reward of eternal paradise. 

An overview on life in England

Britain is portrayed as a multi-cultural and faith society, but what has become of this image? My religion brings great torment to my life it would appear and judgment at each new page I try to turn. I had come to England to study at the University of Bristol, assuming that I would make friends easily, gain a better knowledge of the language and settle into the housing I myself paid for. I did not claim any ‘state benefits’ as you call them, and nor did I require any additional help settling in. However, despite being self-sufficient, I have yet to make anything more than acquaintances. It may be because I’m quiet; the fact that I am not the one to start a conversation or even to end one. My appearance is greatly respected in my home country of Saudi Arabia and all men are required cover themselves from shoulder to knee and wear plain clothing; no silk, the colours red or gold and trousers below the ankle.

Daily I face crude comments and suspicious glances from people everywhere I go; security guards in shops, police officers patrolling the street, porters in hospitals and staff at the airports. I can hear the whispering behind my back; the name calling, rude gestures, hurtful and degrading comments. It would appear that my faith is of great significance to everyone here, but for all the wrong reasons. No one I’ve met has taken any notice other than to turn their nose up at me, or from what I can tell since it is required for my gaze to be lowered at all times. Racism takes on many different forms and unfortunately, some don't even realise they are taking part in an sometimes illegal offence.

I feel like an outcast in what is supposed to be an accepting and inviting place that I chose to come to based on my studies and my older brother, who emigrated to this country about 4 years ago and has since made a family for himself. He 'gave up’ his religion of Islam if that is even possible, just to be with his now wife. I know that Allah would forgive him. My parents have banished him from the family… I hope he is happy with his Christian wife. My life is made quite awkward sometimes by the fact I am required to pray 5 times a day…wherever I am at daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening. I speak Arabic during these intimate prayer times- I honor my traditions.

I know now that without 'friends at this time', staying here will be hard for me. I feel forced out of the country purely on the basis that I love my God so therefore I am a practicing Muslim, I appear different and speak a foreign language as my first language. Many Englishmen cannot understand the way I live my life. I knew when I came here that the most practised religion was not Islam, but Christianity. I have no problems with other religions- each person can believe in their own God or even no God at all. A way of life is your own choice. Religion unites communities of people in times of trouble, grief and happiness. I have recently been in contact with a Muslim society for males here. They are much more accepting and understanding and they too have said that they have, and still experience racism and false accusations based on their beliefs.

Never judge a book by its cover. A truly false statement for many western countries, but one that can hopefully be rectified and England grows ever more in different faiths.

"Islam teaches tolerance, not hatred;universal brotherhood, not enmity; peace, and not violence."

-Pervez Musharraf

S.G