Introduction
The events of 9/11 remain a powerful reminder of why security and unity are so important when there is nothing else to support the nation. The tragedy that occurred in 2001 still takes a toll on numerous Americans due to them recalling the events and having no idea how those dreadful events could have been prevented. The public opinion regarding the implications of the tragedy tended to revolve around religion and the deep impact the attack would have on the relationships between the US and the Middle East (Lincoln, 2010). Nevertheless, an essential idea that can be revealed upon a detailed review of evidence is that most of the judgments are significantly limited. This may happen due to the minimalist outlooks on religion imposed by a thorough endorsement of the idea that certain elements of societal diversity could be dangerous for American society. Accordingly, the current essay is going to dissect the minimalist understandings of religion and the final instructions to the hijackers that attacked the Twin Towers to analyze the internal impact of the events of 9/11 on the United States and their foreign policy.
The Minimalist Understandings of Religion as a Contributor to Terrorism
The first important concept that stands out when one discusses the role of religion in the events that led to the 9/11 attack is the presence of restrictions that affected the religious efforts of people from the Middle East. It quickly became evident that the difference was too significant between the Western and the Middle Eastern worlds. Thus, the metaphysical concerns were overlooked for the sake of the country’s economy when the foreign policy could have become one of the key instruments for predicting the attack (Lincoln, 2010). Accordingly, when there was a need to review the key cultural preferences, the US government took a rigid stance that eventually made matters worse. The predisposition to look into market trends and follow those tendencies averted the Bush administration from seeing the real threat behind the cultural and religious bias. The lack of control over cultural and societal fluctuations gave terrorists more freedom in terms of picking the time and the place of their biggest attack on the US so far.
Based on the next point related to the minimalist understandings of religion, power and wealth always tend to expand rapidly when there is capitalist dynamism. In other words, economy-based rhetoric would make money too relevant compared to any other indicator of one’s socioeconomic status (Lincoln, 2010). This preoccupation with status and wealth has made many Americans miss the point where it came down to the terrorist attack that occurred on September 11, 2001. Even though the terrorists were aiming to damage material property and bring human casualties, the bigger cause was to put a split right in the heart of the American nation. This was a seductive diversion that contained at least two layers of monetary and socioeconomic damage that could not be foreseen or prevented by the US government (Lincoln, 2010). The main reason for addressing these points is the lack of an appropriate understanding of how one could protect themselves from a similar split in the future, given that the majority of US leaders support violent rhetoric aimed at potential threats from the Middle East.
Reflecting on the Final Instructions to the Hijackers
Upon review, it becomes evident that the final instructions to the hijackers represent a rather detailed document where the smallest details are covered to make it easier for attackers to accomplish their mission. For instance, Lincoln (2010) notes that the terrorists were to “obey all divine orders and remember that [they] will face decisive situations.” It shows how the head of the mission knew about the possible split in advance. They exerted leadership to motivate the attackers to hijack the plane even if certain elements of the plan did not seem to work as expected. The most important part of the message is that the members of the same group trying to achieve a common goal should “not fight amongst [themselves] or else [they] will fail.” (Lincoln, 2010). With this information in mind, it is understandable how a highly organized group of individuals was able to collaborate to conquer the chaos and ultimately destroy the Twin Towers.
Basically, it can be concluded that the hijackers chose fear as their instrument of controlling other humans since the process of accomplishing ultimate worship was their definitive objective. It shows how the attackers took the opportunity to generate a violent response and turned it into reality while causing major discomfort in the American nation (Lincoln, 2010). Therefore, the Western people became the enemy, and the violent argument voiced by the hijackers rather tangibly was rebutted by even more aggression from the US administration. This is where the minimalist understanding of religion can be utilized to explain how the lack of control could turn into a socioeconomic nightmare.
Conclusion
The enduring legacy of the 9/11 tragedy shows that there are numerous conditions that have to be considered when pondering upon the inherent meaning of the attack. The influence that the hijackers’ actions had on the American nation could not have been taken lightly. A thorough analysis of the documents related to how the attack was planned and carried out shows that religion was one of the moving forces that brought the US closer to the disaster over time. Even though the minimalist understanding of religion forced the US government to limit the effects of religion on the nation, it ultimately took a toll on the whole country after the Twin Towers were destroyed by the plane crashes. The vicious circle of blame and aggression became too unbearable, causing the country to break down under the impact of a split that struck right in the heart of the American nation.
To conclude, it has to be noted that cultural preferences and various indicators of diversity simply cannot be ignored in the future if the US does not want to relive a similar experience. The ideological limitations imposed by religion and minimalist outlooks on it seem to flaw the US foreign policy due to lopsidedness and vagueness. Even though the current essay does not necessarily serve as a direct source of critique aimed at the US foreign policy, the idea is that the approach to diversity and security should become suggestively more flexible. The lack of alternative ideas regarding the role of religion and its potential impact on the community has to be viewed by the US government as two uncontrollable variables in the Middle-Eastern-threat equation. In order to solve it, the country’s administration would have to pay closer attention to how various conflicts could be resolved with the help of collaboration and not hostility, with religion serving as the backbone to bridge the gap.
Reference
Lincoln, B. (2010). Holy terrors: Thinking about religion after September 11. University of Chicago Press.