September 11 2001
Tom Migliore
It was the most beautiful, crystal clear day I saw in the month I was home on Long Island New York.
As I was preparing to leave my house for lunch at Arturo’s Restaurant in Greenwich Village, I had the TV on.
Upon leaving the shower I saw one tower burning.
I remember hearing some year's back that the towers could withstand the force of a direct hit from a jet airplane. I was hoping for a swift end to the accident. Just then another plane hit - I knew it was no accident. Then I heard about the incident in Washington and Pennsylvania. I remember asking myself, 'who would do such a thing?'
The next several hours were spent making urgent calls to family and friends trying to account for everyone, as many family members work in Manhattan.
One delivery man who worked at my cousin's firm was killed delivering a PC to the 106th floor that morning. His remains were never found.
I was scheduled to fly back to Riyadh on Thursday the 13th. As the airports closed, I knew I was not going to be arriving back to work on time.
I began to send out E-mail to explain that I would probably be late in coming back.
As I opened my E-mail, I saw many urgent E-mails asking if I was all right and my family as well. The very first mail was from a Saudi colleague. He was asking if, and hoping that, I was Ok.
As I began to read editorials from newspapers around the country on the Internet, I read many from Middle Eastern people who understood the possible implications if these mass murders were committed by one of their mother countrymen.
The editorials all said the same thing; “Please God, don’t let the mass murderers be from the hand of a Middle Easterner.”
I returned to Riyadh on Sept 16, 2001 on what was to be the last Saudia flight from the USA for a week or so.
I must admit I was shocked at the response I received when I entered my office. Basically I was met with two topics from the Middle Easterners.
1- America got what it deserved. “This is what happens when you support Israel who kills innocent people.” And 2- “Why are American people treating my family members in America improperly after this mass murder? They were not involved!” Topic 1 hurt me very much. I could not understand this attitude even to this very day.
The only response to number 1 was to say to my colleague, "Wasn't it Sadaam Hussein who gassed 100,000 Muslims. Why not fly a plane into Baghdad?"
My response to number 2 was, “I guess the American people are as upset with all Middle Eastern people as the people who planned this act are upset with all American people."
It was then that I offered my colleagues the bad news. I told them that “They” (Middle Eastern people) are the ones that will surely suffer the consequences of these mass murders more than the people of the USA. They told me I was wrong. Actually they told me I was crazy.
They said, “Now the USA will rethink its Israeli policy. “Why would you think any government would do this?” I asked.
I said to my friends, "This incident will only bring my government and the Jews closer." They looked at me like I was crazy again. Why they could not see this obvious fact about the future I have no idea. These incidents, allegedly planned by Middle Easterners, the planes, flown by Middle Easterners were going to drive a wedge between America and Israel? Preposterous!
Then I said to my colleagues, "Do you have any idea what it will be like for a Middle Eastern person to travel by air to the USA? What about future travel of Middle Easterners to other countries by airplane? How about the suspicions about all Middle Easterners for years to come? And how about future visas?" I asked. How about an Arab student in Boston for example who wants to buy a utility knife in a hardware store?
These planes struck my country but the also hit every Middle Easterner. And worst of all, hit the good name of the Islamic religion, I said.
This act of mass murder hurt you all far worse than anyone else (After the victims’ families)