TRENTON, NJ – One of the most infamous comments ever made about the deadly attacks against America on September 11, 2001, was made by U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The coordinated attack against American civilians by Islamic fundamentalist terrorist Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda terror network killed 2,996 innocent Americans.
“Some people did something,” she said.
“For far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen, and frankly I’m tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it,” Omar said. “CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.”
Omar was right, Muslims in America were being treated unfairly because some Islamic Fundamentalist Terrorists, in the name of Allah and Jihad did something. They killed 3,000 Americans. In the aftermath, videos of Muslim communities worldwide celebrating the death of Americans remains etched in the minds of millions of Americans.
Now, New Jersey Democrats in Trenton want to whitewash the events that led up that day, the attacks, the deaths and the aftermath, a twenty-year war against pockets of Islamic fundamentalist based terror organizations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
Instead, they want to teach children only about the resistance of the American people and to use the event to promote religious and social tolerance. They want to erase the pain tens of millions of Americans felt that day watching Muslims around the world celebrate the deaths of Americans, burn American flags and plot more terror attacks to kill more Americans.
While it is true that not all Muslims supported the attacks and many Muslim nations joined the United States in prayer and solidarity, it doesn’t erase the true and present danger of fanatical Islam, Jihad and the continued threats these groups pose to America.
History should be taught as it happened, when it happened, not through a progressive filter that whitewashed the pain, suffering, and animosity of Americans watching their fellow citizens die on live television.
Now, 21 years later, New Jersey Democrats want to remove the political and religious backstory of the attacks from history books in school.
Democrats a school curriculum bill sponsored by Senator Richard Codey is an effort to ensure students are learning about important events in United States history to include age-appropriate instruction on the events of September 11, 2001.
Codey said he hopes the new curriculum will erase the prejudices and fears many who were alive during the attacks still harbor to this day.
“The events that unfolded on September 11, 2001, remain one of this country’s darkest tragedies,” said Senator Codey (D-Essex/Morris). “In the 21 years since, an entire generation of students have gone through the education system with no personal memory of this day and how life was altered for many Americans. Those of us who lived through September 11, 2001, think back to our emotions from that day as well as the impact the attacks had on lives greater than our own. Those who lost loved ones, those were were on those planes, in the towers, the first responders; may we never see another day like that again. As we continue forward, we must make certain that schools are educating our students on this tragedy so that they can understand what happened that day and how it has shaped our country. Additionally, it is imperative that we educate our students on topics related to this day, such as tolerance and diversity, so that they can grow up without the prejudices that arose in many Americans 20 years ago.”
nder the bill, S-713, the events of September 11, 2001, would be required to be implemented in the curriculum of elementary, middle, and high school students as part of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies.
Instead of delving into the religious and political motivations of Al-Qaeda, a fundamental Islamic terrorist organization that still operates today, instruction will instead focus on the heroic aftermath of police and firefighters.
In a release by Codey said the bill will teach only the following items pertaining to the subject:
- The historical context of the attack
- A timeline of the day as the events unfolded
- The heroic actions of the police, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders in the rescue and recovery of the victims, and the heroic sacrifice of the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93; and
- The outpouring of humanitarian, charitable, and volunteer assistance and support that occurred immediately following the events of that day, and strategies for successfully instilling those traits in daily life.
The instruction will not include the motives behind the attack or the 20-year war sustained by the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq in the aftermath of the attack on America.
7,057 U.S. service members, men, and women have died in post 9-11 anti-terrorism operations. There will be no mention of those service members or their sacrifices in the curriculum.
Instruction would include the historical context of the attacks, a timeline of the day, the heroic actions of first responders and the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, and the outpouring of support that occurred immediately following the events of that day and how students can instill those traits into everyday life.
Additionally, the bill would also require each public school to organize a commemorative event to enhance student awareness of the attacks on September 11, 2001. This would include information concerning the events as well as the opportunity for age-appropriate discussions on conflict resolution, diversity, and tolerance for people of different religions and cultures.
The bill was released from the Senate by a vote of 37-0.
