Remembering 9/11: Reflections and Prayers

By Milimo Moyo

Like many people, I remember September 11, 2001 as clearly as though it were yesterday. I lived in Lusaka, Zambia at the time. On that fateful day, I had gone to the US Embassy in Zambia to obtain a VISA to travel to the USA for a conference on the International Criminal Court at the United Nations building in New York City. After my visa was approved, I left the Embassy and went back to my office. Shortly thereafter, some of my co-workers and I gathered around the office TV and watched in shock as news of the Twin Towers being attacked streamed on the screen. I will never forget the intense feeling of absolute sadness, horror and outrage that welled up inside me that day. I still cannot understand what drove the perpetrators to commit such a heinous act on innocent and defenseless people. There is no justification for any crime let alone the atrocious murder of innocent people.

We have all been impacted by 9/11 not just in America but all over the world. I have always felt that my life became intertwined with New York on September 11, 2001 when my travel visa was granted. I travelled to New York about two weeks after the 9/11 attacks; I fell in love with the city, its diversity, its strength and everything about it. I now live in New York and work close to ground zero; I have seen the construction as the area is being rebuilt - further proof of the strength and resilience of the American people. Today, on September 11, 2011 – ten years after the attacks – I join the rest of America and the world in remembering those who died on that day. I also pray that God will continue to watch over their families and loved ones. Lastly, I pray that the rest of us never ever forget the lives that were lost that day.