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Notes from America with Kai Wright

A 9/12 Story: ‘I Forgot I Was a Muslim Kid’

Notes from America with Kai Wright

WNYC Studios

News Commentary, Politics, History, News

4.41.5K Ratings

🗓️ 13 September 2021

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How did September 11, 2001, and its aftermath, affect the way anyone perceived as Muslim, and those around them, fit inside the American experiment? Host Kai Wright is joined by award winning journalist Aymann Ismail, who talks about his post-9/11 childhood in northern New Jersey -- and what he learned about his identity as an adult. Then, a conversation about diversity, healing, and growth, with Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the co-creators of the Tony Award-winning show Come From Away. A filmed version of the show debuted on Apple TV Plus on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Companion Listening:The Counter-Jihad Movement & the Making of a President (9/11/2017)David Yerushalmi sees the threat of radical Islam everywhere. And thanks to him and his allies, the president now does, too. “The United States of Anxiety” airs live on Sunday evenings at 6pm ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts. To catch all the action, tune into the show on Sunday nights via the stream on WNYC.org/anxiety or tell your smart speakers to play WNYC. We want to hear from you! Connect with us on Twitter @WNYC using the hashtag #USofAnxiety or email us at [email protected].

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is the United States of Anxiety, a show about the unfinished business of our history and its grip on our future.

0:08.0

9-11 would become a date to remember.

0:10.0

The plane is 11th rate to hear?

0:12.0

What?

0:13.0

It what?

0:14.0

The world.

0:15.0

Who are you talking to? Oh God.

0:16.0

It was two realizations, right?

0:18.0

The immediate death toll and then the fact that this was an attack on America.

0:23.0

During a crisis, it's really important to set a tone and not to panic.

0:28.0

You don't want a mosque in Murfreesboro?

0:30.0

No.

0:31.0

Why is that?

0:32.0

Because that's where they gather to take over America.

0:36.0

I think the people who are protesting the mosques are scared. I think they live in fear.

0:41.0

Muslim Americans are the model citizens on paper and yet many of them have said that they've

0:45.8

spent the past 10 years telling people who they're not rather than telling people who they

0:51.6

are. Welcome to the show.

0:55.0

I'm Kai Wright.

0:59.0

This weekend marked the 20th anniversary of 9-11,

1:02.0

and that has of course prompted lots of

1:04.8

reflection on how those attacks changed the world. Tonight though we're going to

...

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