A reflection on the spirit of 9/12/2001

We're seeing a lot of lovely, touching, sentimental posts reminiscing about how we pulled together as a nation in the days following the horrifying attacks of 9/11. And, to be sure, the spirit of 9/12 is something that should be enshrined and emulated. Every day. EVERY.DAMN.DAY. Forever and ever, amen.

But could I chime in with a small . . . I dunno if it's a voice of dissent, or maybe just a "yes, and also" kind of thing.

One aspect of 9/12 wasn't praiseworthy in the least, and it needs a wholesale and permanent rejection. And that was the demonizing (in some places, certainly not everywhere) of our Muslim brothers and sisters, good Americans and well-intentioned visitors among us, who were as horrified and repulsed by what happened as we outside Islam were.

They wept, they suffered, they grieved right along with everyone else in this shattered nation. Because they are a part of us, a part of this family of humans, each of us seeking peace and justice and a good life for all.

But so many of them suffered racist, xenophobic slurs; so many were attacked simply for being Muslim; so many were threatened and scorned. Women wearing hijab were sneered at; halal markets were graffiti'ed; small children were told to "get the hell out."

Let's not do that again, please?