9/11 - A day never to be forgotten.

 9/11- a day never to be forgotten.

9/11. It was simply a day that should never, ever be forgotten. Here was a day that sent the coldest of shivers down our spine. It was the most horrendous, tragic and the most brutal attack on our civil liberties. And yet it was just an ordinary autumnal day in New York. Thousands upon thousands of office workers, delivery vans, those famous and distinctive yellow cabs and pounding feet quickened their stride, anxious to get into work as soon as possible. 

An early morning in September would unfold in much the way it always had and yet we were not to know what would happen next. None could have anticipated the murderous savagery that would follow. It was a bright and crisp in early September and the good people of Syracuse were about to have their lives completely turned upside down. By the end of that days the whole world would bow their heads despairingly and, in a vast majority of cases, cry bitterly, weep openly, their eyes red with grief.

With more or less minutes to go before the day's opening hours, two planes, heading straight for the Twin Towers, would hurtle dramatically for one of New York's most celebrated and iconic buildings. It was a handsome establishment, a place of high finance and business, a proud symbol of America at her finest and grandest. But that day would prove to be unlike anything we had ever witnessed. We were shocked, terrified, aghast, speechless and dumbfounded. We had lost the capacity to think and feel, react and rationalise.

Our thought processes had been paralysed, emotions thrown into utter turmoil and, at the time, our very existence threatened by an enemy that had yet to reveal itself. Those in the highest authorities privately knew exactly what had just taken place but they were yet to identify who they were. It was the day that the Twin Towers in New York was demolished, burnt to the ground, viciously attacked, killing thousands of ordinary, everyday, clean living and virtuous folk who were just getting on with the business of the day. 

But then, cruelly and grotesquely, thousands would die at the hands of despicable terrorism. It was the most appalling act of savagery, a bloodthirsty act of murderous intentions, a day of ineffable grief and pain, suffering and heartache on the most terrifying scale. Certainly none of us had never seen anything like this before and none of us could have foreseen what would happen next, the sheer magnitude of  the day's events.

Shortly before nine o'clock in the heart of New York, two planes crashed into the Twin Towers and one of America's most imposing of buildings, a stunning piece of architecture, was fire bombed and then left in charred ruins, razed to the ground. Shortly, thick black plumes of mushrooming black smoke would dramatically spread across the morning sky, vivid orange flames tearing through this most noble edifice. At first we thought it was just another plane that had lost control and that a terrible accident had claimed the lives of people who just believed that September 11th would simply be another day.

Within minutes, two planes plunged headlong into the Twin Towers. Then a haunting darkness and silence would fall grimly over this scene of  the most egregious crime. September 11th was suspended almost indefinitely, all civilisation seemingly gone because this couldn't have been what we thought it was but indeed it had been. The most evil of terrorists had launched the most disgraceful assault on humanity. They were merciless, heartless, callously indifferent to human life, man's inhumanity to man, woman and child.  

Meanwhile back in the White House, President George W. Bush was still shaking his head in disbelief, processing the inexplicable, finding comforting words to those in heartbroken distress. And yet Bush, alongside British Prime Minister Tony Blair, came together in the most moving and sympathetic manner that they could find in their hearts. Both men were whole heartedly united  in heartfelt condemnation, obvious compassion coursing through their collective souls, fearless and determined to face those who were hell bent on causing chaos, misery, bedlam and executing the complete elimination of innocent citizens.   

It hardly seems like 25 years ago now but, with the benefit of hindsight, we can still remember where we were and what we were doing. We were catching the morning train to work, packing our academic bags for school, college and university, pursuing our dreams and ambitions. How or why were the foremost questions? What possessed the minds of seemingly rational human beings to commit the irrational, this most unforgivable violation, this suicidal attack on the most monumental scale? It seemed the most indiscriminate act of violence, barbarism at its most unimaginable. But we saw it and    winced, blinking, rubbing our eyes with stunned incredulity. 

And yet what has come to be known simply as 9/11 is now branded permanently in our memories because this was simply too outrageous for any of us to comprehend. At first we were reminded of that epic disaster film The Towering Inferno with the very distinguished David Niven where fire ripped through a hotel and left countless dead. But this, essentially, was real life not some imaginary Hollywood creation. It was September 11th 2001 and 25 years later,  America is still, quite naturally, grieving and inconsolable and still demanding answers to questions. 

The images are of course indelible; there was the sight of one person hurling themselves out of their burning office window and leaping to death, hundreds of people down on the ground scampering and scurrying away from the crumbling office blocks, hands over their mouths, coughing incessantly, desperately escaping from the massive conflagration. Still more were bent over and physically broken, frantically searching for some semblance of safety. 

The air of urgency and emergency can still be felt. People were running away, screaming and yelling helplessly, emotionally fraught, work suits and shirts caked in dust and dirt, thousands trapped in rubble and debris, fleeing for their life in case one of the collapsing Towers had yet to finally fall. As we would later discover  Al Qaeda, a shameless band of Muslim terrorists, perpetrated this most villainous atrocity  and they were the ones with blood on their hands. 

And yet 25 years later the world refuses to give into terrorism, genocide, suicide or, whether be it religiously motivated or not, we will stand tall, fearless, undaunted, ferociously opposed to these repulsive renegades, these outright purveyors of poisonous hatred. 9/11 was a stark reminder of what can happen when, just a brief moment of complacency at the very top of governments can be wickedly fatal. 

There were of course lengthy inquests, probing post mortems and innumerable court cases following 9/11. There were the extensive investigations into how Al Qaeda were simply allowed the air space and opportunity to carry out their dastardly deeds. Whole groups of men have gone on trial, extradited quite rightly from the country, held to account and severely punished by judge and jury. For years TV has given over saturation coverage and different camera angles. We have been inundated with documentary evidence of which members of families had lost their loved ones and would sadly never recover.

But today is not a day for firing off accusations at whomsoever and blaming any one individual. But we all shared an unwavering admiration for the fire services, the ambulances who came to the rescue almost immediately, the paramedics who carried out mouth to mouth resuscitation on the spot. We can still see that wonderfully heroic fire fighter, slowly descending the stairs, sweat pouring off his  forehead, face etched with panic and overwhelming anxiety. But he, quite miraculously, survived and for this, the world should doff its cap and thank him immensely. Bravery in the face of adversity. It was there for all to see. 

So this morning by the Memorial Tower, built to commemorate those who had lost their lives that fateful day, millions of families will be quietly murmuring prayers and blessings. It'll be a day for sober reflection, agonised reminiscence, a day of sullen solemnity and quite rightly so. For we remember 9/11 and we will not allow your everyday freedoms to be stolen from us. We have the right to demand full and detailed explanations because we were the ones who could only observe from a distance. So wherever you are today and whatever you're doing, never ever forget the victims of 9/11. 

As a proud Jew we will be thinking of you today since tomorrow is our Jewish New Year and Rosh Hashanah and we are also on the side of justice and common sense. We will chant for your good health and happiness and we will tell our friends in  America that you have our unconditional love and support. We feel sure that today we will be praying for peace and reconciliation and we will not give up at all.