story2244.xml

story2244.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

i dont think i could possibily ever forget that day. i was in school, i had just gotten out of third hour. i was walking into my schools office when i noticed everyone was tuned into what seemed to be an action movie, with airplanes, and buildings on fire, the whole package. i walked out confused, then a friend approached me, "can you believe what happend?" i had no clue what she was talking about. She further explained. "The twin towers, they were crashed into by airplanes!" hmmm...i wondered, this isnt making sense. By that time we had walked up to my group of friends, all, as usual, circled around each other talking. "I can't believe it...", "Oh my god, think about all the deaths", "who did this?" who did what?? what couldnt they believe, and what deaths were they talking about, i still wasn't understanding. finally fourth hour began, and what do you know, my US history class. The TV was on when i walked in, everyones eyes, glued to its screen. and then i saw it. I saw the real footage of two airplanes each hitting the towers. Suddenly i was overwhelmed, tears were flowing down my cheeks. first thought: osama, PLO, but i was terrified they were goign to blame it on Iran. (thats where my parents and their famil are from) so i excused myself from the class. went and called my dad in the room next door. "dad who was it?, who are they saying did this? not iran right??" i was freaking out, i thought that the world was about to end, no joke. I mean its not everyday you walk into the classroom and see two buildings turn to ashes in front of you. my father, alwayscontent and perceptive reassured me, "Rahill its fine dont worry. no honey, they arent goign to blame it on iran, this wasnt iran. just dont worry. things will happen. Pray for all those who are there right now, or have died." I cant remeber much else of the conversation, just me crying and him reassuring me each time. well anyway i went baack into the class. my teacher was in there talking with a low voice on the other phone cryng, because she was desperatly trying to get a hold of her cousins in NY who she realized worked at the trade center. I looked aroound and saw all the kids faces looking up in awe, while most girls had tears streaming down their faces. everyone was silent, all you could hear was the tv, and the impatient frightful dialing of my teacher. i remeber sitting there, and just thinking and trying to apply it to the day kennedy got shot. all my teachers had gone over that day at one point or another, and there stories all paralleled each other. all sitting in a classroom, faces gllued to the screen, everyone sad and in awe. very similar, except twenty times worse. by this poitn they were showing the clips of people jumping out of hte building. ultimatly ending their lives. damnit i wanted to kill cnn. such a horrible news channel, along withthe rest of them. They were also falsly accusing nations and groups now who they believed were behind it. and ofcourse, what do you know iran was brought up. god i was now not only incredibly frightened, dismal, and shocked, i was angry. i felt myself growing smaller and smaller, i felt ashamed of being muslim and iranain, i felt liek everyone in the class was now looking at me in vengence, i was scared. i hate ignorance, it doesnt fail me now, and it didnt fail me then. well then we went to our next class. i disnt even bother going and talking to my friends i just went straight into the next class sat at my seat, and along with a few others, in silence began to watch the tv. when the bell rang my teacher didnt even speak we just all sat their and watched. we were watching the clips over and over, until very randomly CNN decided to show a clip of palestine. the palistinain kids dancing around parading around in joy. i watched tears running profusely down my face, my eyes turning red with anger, my whole body jsut tightened up, i felt like i was about to explode. and then i did. "THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT" i yelled as i threw my folders of my desk got up walked over to the door opened it and slammed it behind me. i couldnt even control myself, when i got out into the hall id int even know what happend. DAMNit i thought, how could they do that! such media manipulation. look at what they are dong. those poor kids in palestine ofcousre they are goign to be happy, they dont know any better. all they know is that america is the country allowing israel to continuoly walk all over them. they are the ones giving them all the weapons that have killed their father, brothers, and family. they are only kids, they have grown up in righteous resentment of america, but people here just cant understand that. WHY did they have to show that!! did they really have to? god i was royally pissed. i just couldnt believe it. anyway i gathered my feeling together went back inside. adn my teacher, wh oby the way thinks darn is a bad word, came up to me and said "rahill are you ok?", much better than the "go to the office" i was expecting. i jsut nodded, i couldnt even get out any words. the rest of the day i was the same. the usual happy, loud, funny, spunky rahill, had left, and a sad, dismal, angered rahill was all that stayed. got home and i noticed feelings were the same. my mom was talking back tothe tv as i walked in "how the hell do they know it was arab terrorists, iran, the palestinains..." yea i agreed. though i knew it was probably an arab group still i was mad abotu the palestinian clip they showed. OH and by hte way only to later find out THAT WAS FOOTAGE FROM 1995, bastards. damn i am truly disgusted. yea...thats all i have time for writing though. hope you enjoyed reading. hope things are well. carry on....