SEATED NEXT TO PORTRAITS OF HER SON MOHAMMAD SALMAN HAMDANI, WHO WAS 23 WHEN HE DIED ATTEMPTING TO SAVE LIVES AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ON SEPT. 11, 2001, TALAT HAMDANI SITS DURING AN INTERVIEW IN NEW YORK.
New York City population, 8,008,278 – according to recent government estimates.
It’s no surprise, then, that nine years ago on September 11, 2001, about 60 American Muslims were killed alongside their fellow Americans when two planes hijacked by terrorists hit the World Trade Center, killing about 3,000 people.
Despite the fact that 9/11 had more Muslim victims than terrorist hijackers, families of many Muslim American victims had to deal with both the loss of their loved ones, as well as suspicion or lack of sympathy from others.
Talat Hamdani is the mother of Salman Hamdani, a lab technician who was on his way to work at RockefellerCenter on Manhattan’s Upper Eastside. Hamdani was 23 in September of 2001 – he was born in Pakistan, but came to the U.S. with his parents when he was one year old.
A chemistry graduate of Queens College, Hamdani hoped to go to medical school. He trained as an EMT and drove part-time for an ambulance service, and was a part of the Police Department’s Cadet program.
On 9/11, while on his way to the city, Hamdani saw the twin towers burning and changed paths to head to theTwin Towers, where he wanted to help. He was killed, however, when the North Tower collapsed.
When Hamdani did not return home, his family set out searching for him, posting fliers, hoping even that he might be one of the many young Muslim men secretly detained for questioning.
Police investigated Hamdani’s background, his politics and his computer. Rumors began to spread that Hamdani was wanted for questioning by the city-federal terrorism task force.
A New York Post story was published about Hamdani with the headline, "Missing — or Hiding?"
It wasn’t until March of 2002 that two policemen came to the Hamdani home to notify the family that their son’s remains had been identified, and his name was clear.
Hamdani's mother felt victimized by both the Muslims who killed her son, and again by the fellow Americans who doubted that Salman - a Muslim - died a hero at the WorldTrade Center...
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