Condolences for victims of 9/11

Chicago, Illinois - September 11, 2009 - On the eighth anniversary of 9/11 the Islamic Association of Bosniaks in North America (IABNA) on behalf of its 250,000 Bosnian-American Muslims, sent its heartfelt condolences to all of the families who lost loved ones in the horrific mass murders of September 11, 2001.

This year on 9/11 Muslims worldwide are observing the holy month of Ramadan. The confluence of Ramadan with the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is poignant. It affords Muslims an opportunity to reflect more deeply on the tragic loss of innocent life that day and the vicious cycles of violence and intolerance at home and abroad since 9/11.

We all must work harder to build mutual respect, an attitude of forbearance regardless of the doctrines which we may live by. If we disagree, we do so with respect and civility. We should move a step further to cultivate a spirit of affirmative gratitude for those who do not see things as we see them without compromising our theology. We should harbor not only tolerance toward one another, but also genuine goodwill.