Islam and September 11th

This statement is mentioned twice in the “Concerto for 11^th/September/2001 B.C.,” an excerpt from Prophesy, O Blind One. What I think the point that Adonis is trying to get across is that the world has developed a blind eye to religion and its roots. It has forgotten its simpler, more peaceful past and has surrendered to technology, war, and bloodshed.  As in previous works in this collection, Adonis references that past in comparison to the events of 9/11 and what is to come in the future if the world does not recognize its ignorance. Adonis places such an importance on religion and war in the text that I wanted to look deeper into the parallels between the two surrounding 9/11.

The attacks on September 11, 2001 that killed 2,977 people were carried out by 19 hijackers – 15 Saudi Arabians, 2 United Arab Emirates, 1 Egyptian, and 1 Lebanese; all of which were part of the Islamist Extremists group, al-Qaeda. Islamist extremists see Islam as a guiding ideology for politics and the organization of society. They adhere to strict religious law and believe that it should be the basis for all countries’ laws, as well as their cultural and social lives. Extremists believe that violence is an acceptable way to achieve this organization. Since the terrorists did not have the capacity to take on the entire U.S. Army, they had hoped by attacking major symbolic buildings in our country they would promote a widespread panic and weaken the United States’ standing in the world community. The most common misconception of Islam is that all those who practice this religion, which is the second largest religion in the world, adhere to these extremist beliefs. Although the events on 9/11 stemmed from the religious and militant beliefs of a certain group, they are not to be mistaken for the beliefs of an entire religious nation. To quote former President Bush, “The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil and war.”

With all the misunderstanding about Islam after 9/11, how do you think that Adonis uses his poetic freedom to enlighten the world to the worth of religion?