Can America ever move past 9/11?

Key Points:

• A group of New Yorkers protested Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, demanding he not attend the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, citing vague grievances largely tied to his Muslim identity rather than specific policies.
• The article argues that the lingering societal fear and suspicion of Muslims post-9/11 have fueled Islamophobia and led to lasting overreaches in U.S. domestic and foreign policies, including expanded surveillance and militarized responses.
• Despite the end of the wars launched after 9/11, the “fever” of fear and mistrust persists, manifesting in continued discrimination and the normalization of intrusive security measures like the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.
• The piece calls on Democrats to confront the legacy of 9/11 honestly by contextualizing the attacks within U.S. foreign policy and advocating for reforms to undo harmful policies enacted in its aftermath, while also addressing public fears with empathy.
• Ultimately, the article stresses the need for America to move beyond its post-9/11 trauma and stop targeting Muslim communities, arguing that true commemoration requires breaking free from a perpetual state of national fear and anger.