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The 9/11 terrorist attacks that devastated the United States in 2001 have had profound political, economic and social effects that still reverberate to this very day. However, most people don’t focus on the consequences that the attacks had on the social fabric of America, even though they were incredibly impactful.

US Muslims and people of color turned to Twitter to tell the stories of how their lives were changed by the 9/11 attacks. Using the #AfterSeptember11 and #After911 hashtags, they revealed the intense persecution they and their family members faced because of their religious beliefs, how they looked, and how they dressed. The following is a list of the most poignant stories. Upvote the ones you felt touched you the most, and leave a comment with your thoughts about 9/11 and its effects on the US and the world below. After you’re done reading, have a look at Bored Panda’s post about the incredibly heroic search and rescue dogs who are remembered for doing their duty at Ground Zero 18 years on.

#1

After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

TheChickenEater Report

Hans
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ignorance is easier than empathy obviously.

Nathalie Sjöblom Lagestam
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They beat up an old man just walking down the street and they have the balls to call HIM a terrorist?? Not from where I'm standing

Ale_Vidal23
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

oh lord, please no... this is so sad

Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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Edita Ruzickova
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm so sorry, we sadly live in world where its easier to blame whole nation rather than individuals.

Laura Pantazis
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not just a whole nation, but an entire religion with 1.8 BILLION people in it.

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Mia Cardenas
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Intolerance will break us all

Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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Miss Cris
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm very sorry for you and your family. And i hope the murderers were caught and jailed for hate and terrorism, too. As all those people who did damage to other people with the excuse of 9/11.

Donna Leske
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A lot of people have never had any family member do a dna test. My family did and the results were astounding. You can get mad, be confused, deny it, or just laugh. We're all one PEOPLE.

Steve Cruz
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't hear about any average white guys getting beaten up after the Oklahoma City bombings.

Leah Woodard
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Meanwhile, on the 18th anniversary of the tragedy, the President of the United State made headlines by shaming Ilhan Omar for not speaking with enough reverence about what the terrorists had done, when discussing how the 9/11 attacks had been particularly painful for the Muslim community, as spiritual people AND Americans. White America has no shame.

Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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did this break your heart too? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_Hebron_massacre just wondering watch the skinhead downvote me just for bringing this up too

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Tiffany Sims
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People assume before even thinking, i am so sorry.

Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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yeah some people just downvote users for even talking about history. like i get downvoted just for telling people about what happened in Hebron in 1929. Crazy how insane they are. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_Hebron_massacre

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Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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Tara do you think this was horrible too https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_Hebron_massacre was it as horrible or no

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Ovi Rio
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

beating up a grieving father.

Jo Choto
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember all the hate and violence directed at random people because they were brown, regardless of their religion or circumstance. It was awful.

Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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not as disgraceful as what muslims did to the jews of hebron in 1929 but i m sure you will downvote me because i brought up a piece of real history that doesnt fit your narrative https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1929_Hebron_massacre

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Gerry Rotondo
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry to say this - but the Muslims who pulled off the attacks, the 9-11 attacks as well as many many others ( remember the WTC attack in '93, the Olympic massacre, the Achille Lauro, Pan Am Lockerbee .... do I need to go on and on ........ ?? ) The Muslims who do this c**p KNOW FULL WELL there would be consequences for ALL Muslims. BUT THEY DIDN'T CARE. They wanted THEIR GOALS and IDEALS to be accomplished .... regardless of what happened to anyone else. So don't play THAT, Homey ..... Homey don't play THAT !!

Mary Reilly
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This did not happen....I followed 9/11 stories very carefully as my brother was killed. Please give evidence.

Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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also friendly reminder that kaisu is literally a neonazi skinhead holocaust denier who downvotes jewish users in this comments section for talking about real-life genocides of jewish people carried out by muslims

Kaisu
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dave, I've told you, if you want to talk about the Hebron massacre, then make a post about it and people will discuss it. But people will not discuss it in this post because it's completely irrelevant. You're only creating spam in the comments. I don't know if you're mentally disabled or something so I don't want to say anything too mean, but maybe you should consider whether people will care about what you say if you post fifty thousand spammy comments

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Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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NEVER FORGET THE HEBRON MASSACRE OF 1929. YOU CAN DOWNVOTE ME ALL YOU WANT BUT YOU WILL NEVER ERASE REAL HISTORY. PEOPLE WILL FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED IN HEBRON 1929 NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU DOWNVOTE ME. YOU CANT HIDE THE TRUTH

Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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just like the jews that were murdered by a homicidal flash mob in hebron 1929 but of course nobody wants to talk about that

Dave G.
Community Member
6 years ago

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keep the downvotes coming skinheads

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    #2

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    Hind_Faress Report

    Kaisu
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    People should always stand up for each other, and especially marginalised people should stick together instead of participating in on the discrimination

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    #3

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    rukhushana Report

    Lucinda Overhoussen
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My heart breaks for much a needless and senseless loss. I'm so sorry you had to grow up without your mum.

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    Verbal and physical abuse against Muslims was rife in the weeks, months and even years following the terrorist attacks. From bullying in schools to taunts in public, both Muslims and people of color were ‘presumed to be guilty’ for what happened. The people who thought themselves to be just as American as anyone else found themselves outcasts in a society that didn’t know how to deal with their grief and anger.

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    #4

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    mamaAthena75 Report

    Kathy Baylis
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good for you. I hope they’re still friends.

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    #5

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    Indian_stats Report

    Shawn
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's just like how if gun violence is perpetrated by a white it's a mass shooting while if the exact same act is committed by a black or Hispanic it's gang violence..

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    #6

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    therealbhalil Report

    Kaisu
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That sounds horrific, children should never be punished like this

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    Even though for some the memory of 9/11 fades, for others it is still as though the tragedy happened yesterday. And new information about what happened is still coming out even now. For example, according to CNN, the US Justice Department has recently stated that it will reveal the name of a person who is believed to have aided two of the 9/11 hijackers.

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    #7

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    Nahwalnut Report

    Lucinda Overhoussen
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's very sad, the same happened during WWII with Adolf, the royal family changed its name to Windsor to be less German sounding and for a while German shepherds were called Shepard dogs. None of that should be important, but it matters to people.

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    #8

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    anuvir Report

    #9

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    wrjones559 Report

    Kaisu
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    White people think all brown Asians are Muslim, and that Muslim is a race but its not, and ignorance like that just breed more hate

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    Americans in New York honored victims of the attacks at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. During the ceremony, two moments of silence were held (one for each plane that hit the World Trade Center); names of all the nearly 3,000 people who died were also read. This year was the first time that all New York schools were legally required to hold a moment of silence.

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    #10

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    _SJPeace_ Report

    #11

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    supermarina Report

    Kaisu
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is so heartbreaking, that kind, empathetic people like this are punished just because of their religion

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    #12

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    coreyblaser Report

    Kathy Baylis
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sikhs are not Muslims. They’re Sikhs. But ignorant people, as always, tend to clump certain types of people together based on appearance. In their pea brains, wearing a turban automatically equates with being a terrorist, which is absolutely not true. Neither is the opinion that all Muslims are terrorists, which I know from experience is not true. Much of this false information is perpetuated by warmongering politicians and the mainstream media that reports on them. It needs to stop. We need to stop.

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    #13

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    shezumi Report

    Ruth Janssen
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm really sorry. But as a German I can tell you that we have been doing that for 70 years. And none of my relatives were involved in the genocide

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    #14

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    Vanniivy007 Report

    Nathalie Sjöblom Lagestam
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is both heartbreaking and disgusting. That family sound like they were angels with hearts of gold and some $&^@^÷&€ who have probably never done anything in their useless lives to help others chased them out. I honestly hope that karma sees those guilty in the gutter with no one offering them help and the Sikh family went on to something better

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    #15

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    ariannamigNASTY Report

    Maya Baggins
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm usually against violence, I'd have done the same if they badmouthed my dad

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    #16

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    MENALibAHS Report

    Orillion
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ah, yes. The old "All muslims are evil, except the ones I know." It baffles me how ofter this happens.

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    #17

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    jentyler124 Report

    #18

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    LilMaverickMiss Report

    Pseudo Puppy
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Teachers never did anything".... horrendous cowards that they were. For the sake of all deities... she was a *kid*, and was deserving of protection.

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    #19

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    leprohonlad Report

    Lilly Petit
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So, you should tell him that white man should be banned from world because a lot of them rapes, attack schools and kill childs, etc. This is so ridiculous.

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    #20

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    Pommy1122 Report

    Sanne H.
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If it makes you feel any better, a bit of the same happened with the girl's name "Isis" recently, at least it did in The Netherlands.

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    #21

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    Zackaryathe1st Report

    Jane Alexander
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In jr high I was told I would go to hell when I die for not being catholic. That was in the 1950 s, I'm still not catholic. I'm going to hell.

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    #22

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    Mark_Mallory Report

    Whatever...
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In my personal experience, I've found that more black people who I worked with were the most anti-Muslim / anti-Arab. I was shocked, considering what they've experienced in life.

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    #23

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    harikondabolu Report

    Bellalala
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dave G. Do you aware what Israel do to Palestinian from 1948 until now? Do you really need to compare the hebron with everything? What a jerk Jewish

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    #24

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    enchantedsonata Report

    TheReader19
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fear can lead to hatred, that and stupidity

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    #25

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    mrsaturtle Report

    Kathy Baylis
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Teacher should’ve been reprimanded, at the very least, for that.

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    #26

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    BrownSugaSaraah Report

    Monika Soffronow
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Alex Harris, don't be so quick posting inane comments, they make you seem very, very young and very shallow. I am absolutely certain that you can participate in a much more constructive manner and I promise you that many of us here will welcome your more sincere comments. How would it make you feel if someone threw a brick at your own grandma? I'd be mad as hell.

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    #27

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    milkstrology Report

    Lucinda Overhoussen
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The fact that you'd deprive your child of a friend says everything about these "parents" before you look at all the other inherent wrongs

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    #29

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

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    #30

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

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    Andrea Delden
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I read about adult Muslims being beaten and even killed after 9/11 but I didn’t think how awful this must have been for the children. Here it is 18 years later and I’m just now learning of this. To all the children who suffered from 9/11, both from parents dying in the attack and those attacked afterwards, please accept my apologies for my ignorance.

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    #31

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    danysings Report

    Bored Moogle
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How ironic the concentration camp reference didn't bring to mind when a so-called "Christian" ordered the deaths of 12 million people.

    #33

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    KaitlynAbdou Report

    TheReader19
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Notice how you now become a n****r when your hated?

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    #35

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    angel60190 Report

    TheReader19
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What once was an asset (speaking a second language), now becomes a liability

    #36

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    Navvai Report

    #37

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    thelifeofzahra Report

    Bellalala
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I started to think that they already hate Muslims from the beginning, but after September 11th, they got the chances to really show it.

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    #46

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    neendigo Report

    Bellalala
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Surely he forgot how black people were treated back then.

    #47

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    s0lwyn Report

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    #49

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    GrapheneQueen Report

    Laana
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Feeling is awful. But I must say,it happened to me and I am visibly white,european girl and was pregnant at the time. Chose me from all of the other passengers and checked me again (luggage,metal check with hand sensor and hands swabbing). Bad feeling...

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    #50

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

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    #51

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    #53

    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

    Iranmusings Report

    Ava Ford
    Community Member
    6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is bad but it isn't the worst that could happen, and (I'm sorry for saying this) could have taken some pressure off your family by the other racists thinking you are patriotic (I'm so sorry if I offended anyone and if you think I'm wrong please reply)

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    After-September-11-Heartbreaking-Muslim-Discrimination-Stories

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