9-1-1

9/11 changed the life of many. It affected flight crews like no other day. Thousands of innocent men, women and children of all ethnicity and religions lost their lives. However, it has been used to silence, kill, maim, rape, pillage and destroy hundreds of thousands of innocent lives in Iraq, Afghanista, Pakistan, Palestine, Europe, Russia, North America and pretty much all over the world. Take a moment to remember not only the victims of the two 9/11s but PLEASE also consider the victims of state-sanctioned terrorism conducted in the name of security.

No matter what anyone says, Sept 11, 2001 changed the way people look at Muslims and brown people in general. Life has not been the same for my colleagues that are different shades of brown- that is for sure. We have to constantly justify our existence and have gone through a rainbow of bad feeling. From feeling like we have to over-compensate so people would not judge us, to feelings of anger. From being judged by customers and airport staff to being judged by our own colleagues for being Pakistani and Muslim.

I had to educate myself about what happened on that awful day. However, I also had to educate myself about WHY it happened and how to perhaps help and prevent a recurrence of such an act. Western states have only made my job more dangerous with their wars, killing sprees and violent actions. Today as a flight attendant group we are even more unsafe than on 9/11. Imagine if the one million Iraqi victims of US terror decided to take 'blow back' action against us one day?

Today I think of the victims of the two 9/11 and I think about all the violence perpetrated around the world and I am saddened that peace is not on the horizon. Only war. More war. I fear this anniversary is being used in the USA only to rile up support for more draconian actions and more war.

I hope that at least my colleagues will be mindful of the entire 9/11 industry. For the media and the share holders of the military industry, this day is not about support for the victims of 9/11 but rather support for the military industrial complex.

Let us not be pawns. Let us be in solidarity with peace makers. Let us be in solidarity with educators. Let us be in solidarity with unions and join the fight for justice for all.

Let us be vigilant indeed but for the right reasons! This is my 9-1-1 call for compassion.