The date was September 11 and the country was the United States of America, History witnessed two world-changing events. One was in 1893 and the city was Chicago which emerged as enlightening the world. The other was in 2001 and the cities were New York, Virginia, and Washington DC under attack. However, one tries to be politically correct, put forward conspiracy theories and blame the US government for its failure and past deeds, but the fact of the matter is that 2,977 innocent people died in the attack by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists led by two Fatwas by Osama bin Laden. Al Jazeera tried to whitewash Laden by broadcasting his statement that he was not responsible for the attack. What was the compulsion for Al Jazeera and how it has reached the terrorists could be best known to the organization or the Intelligence agencies! In several tapes, Osama bin Laden publicly admitted his responsibility for the attack and one of the reasons he had was US support for Israel. The worldview which is centred in Arabia does not want to see Israel in the west and India in the East, two civilizations in existence. This worldview has created Palestine to destroy Israel and Pakistan to destroy India.
Note: Since the political narrative is such that we cannot call a spade a spade and in order to be politically correct, the worldviews of Arabia, Israel, India, Palestine and Pakistan have nothing to do with religion. Moreover, 19 terrorists who were involved in the attack, Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda have nothing to do with Islam.
Two Aeroplanes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City
My computer says "The file name is not valid" when I tried to save this picture with the name 9/11 attack
On September 11, 1893, Swami Vivekananda addressed the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago where he said,
Sisters and Brothers of America,
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.
My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honour of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”
The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: “Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me.” Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilisation and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.
Had we calibrated 9/11 of 1893, then 9/11 of 2001 would not have happened! The call of the time is to limit religion to spirituality and shred it of all political ambitions. Until this happens, the world will be soaked in blood time and again in the name of religion.
