RT: Mohammad Salman Hamdani was on his way to his job at the DNA analysis lab at Rockefeller University on September 11, 2001 when the 23-year-old EMT and police cadet raced to the World Trade Center to lend a hand.
It was months before Hamdani’s mother learned that her son’s body was found in nearly three dozen parts, and his name was specifically written into the Patriot Act’s legislation where he is recognized as a Muslim American hero for offering rescue assistance only to perish in return. A decade later, however, the young Pakistan-born scholar isn’t remembered at Ground Zero for his bravery as a first responder and budding police cadet.
Instead, the name Mohammad Salman Hamdani is on the final panel at the site of the former World Trade Center where 10,000 people have been visiting daily to pay their respects. There are sections reserved for first responders and policemen alike. Hamdani, however, is listed along with other that died on September 11 and had no right to be at the site. Those people, according to officials involved in the memorial, are those with only “loose connections” to the World Trade Center.
To Hamdani’s mother, the connection between her son and the building that took his life is much bigger than that.
“They do not want anyone with a Muslim name to be acknowledged at ground zero with such high honors,” Talat Hamdani, 60, tells the New York Times. “They don’t want someone with the name Mohammad to be up there.”
Categories: Americas, Pakistan, Terrorism, United States
There are many more. One Swiss Doctor Hussain (ex Pakistani) was also near-bye and provided first aid. It was covered by Swiss TV also at the time.
Hello,
Are you aware of this?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/congressmen-football-players-at-white-houses-iftar-dinner/2011/08/10/gIQAcZxL7I_blog.html
Is it also possible that other non-muslims who assisted but were not “officially called” first responders are in the same situation? If it is the opposite, then I would want it to be remedied as well, but I don’t see any examples to show this.
The President of the US has consistently gone out of his way to honor muslims and their contributions to the US, a risky move considering the backlash he can get from the conservative portion of his country. You’re highly unlikely to see this sort of thing from the Russian or Chinese leaders. Muslims in the US have far greater freedom and safety than Jews in most Muslim countries, correct?
Why must we (all sides) always make divisions among us? Are we not all from the same father?
Best,
JonnyL, lover of all peoples from all lands