CONTACT INFORMATION:
Emma Shainwald
emma@ncapaonline.org
[***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***]
RELEASE DATE:
September 11th, 2021
Washington, DC—The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) issued the following statement commemorating the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and all those who have been impacted.
On this solemn day, NCAPA remembers all the lives lost during the tragic events on September 11th. Our hearts go out to the communities who are mourning and commemorating their lost loved ones. As we honor the memory of those who were taken from us far too soon, we extend a hand towards our Muslim, Arab, and South Asian (MASA) communities members who have been harmed by waves of Islamophobia and hate in the aftermath of 9/11.
As we evoke our national memory of 9/11, it’s essential that we create space for Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities to drive their own narrative in the wake of 9/11 and persisting Islamophobia. Twenty years later, we continue to stand with the MASA community to combat hate against innocent people.
Lakshmi Sridaran, Executive Director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) stated:
“20 years ago our Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian communities experienced the acute pain of racist hate violence fueled by our country’s historic polices of imperialism, surveillance, and racial profiling. We call on policymakers to reverse these policies of the War on Terror to truly ensure the safety of all communities of color.”
Mona R. Shah, Executive Director of the South Asian Bar Association of North America (SABA-NA) commented:
“9/11 is a time of remembrance and reflection. We overcame hate and came together in solidarity, love, compassion, understanding, and community. SABA is here to continue the work we started in the wake of 9/11. We stand in solidarity with our fellow brother and sister organizations to continue to amplify the voices that need to be heard. We are always stronger together.”
Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) said:
“20 years after the deadly attack of 9/11, the Sikh community feels the pain of countless lives lost, including members of our community who lost their lives and were victims of the hate-filled backlash. We join all Americans in coming together on this day in remembrance, healing and sangat (community). We honor the memory of Balbir Singh Sodhi and all the victims of hate over the last 20 years and draw strength and inspiration from their memory as we move forward in our work to create a more inclusive society.”
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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 38 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.