The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks Symbol Analysis

Throughout the play, the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City—and the aftermath of these events—symbolize people’s tendency to form unfounded prejudices in the wake of tragic events. More specifically, the play looks at how non-Muslim and Western cultures vilified Islam as a whole, simply because the terrorists who carried out the 9/11 attacks were affiliated with the religion.

Immediately after the attack, Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah bemoan the fact that newscasters talking about the events make an implicit connection between extremist violence and the entire Islamic faith, such that ordinary Muslims end up having to answer for the heinous actions of a small violent minority. As Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah discuss Shafana’s decision to wear a hijab, they frequently reference the Islamophobic attitudes that emerged in the aftermath of 9/11, mentioning the attacks as a representation of just how ignorant many people are when it comes to their ideas about the Islamic faith. In turn, the attacks themselves come to symbolize how dangerous it can be for Muslims to simply go about their everyday lives in societies that discriminate against them.