About a week has passed since the day of remembrance we now call Patriot Day. September 11, 2001, is a date that will never be forgotten in the minds of people old enough to remember and for those too young, as a tragedy that altered how we view American History. In many of the videos of people remembering that day, it is described as a time in which race, religion, color, or creed did not matter. It was the day in which all Americans were united. Today, we still recognize it that way, at least in words. You see, the day the Terror Attacks of 9/11 happened, it changed the course of history for each and every one of us. Some say for the better, others say for worse. I am with the latter. Not in terms of being an American, but in ways we act as Americans toward other people, especially other Americans.

Mohammad Salman Hamdani is a name that is not well known. I am willing to bet a large number of people have never heard of him. Mohammad Salman Hamdani was at the World Trade Center that fateful day. Salman was Muslim. The days following the attacks, flyers went around New York, saying Salman was wanted for questioning. The New York Post ran a story called "Missing – Or Hiding?” about Salman’s disappearance. Several months later, we found out the truth. Salman’s body was found scattered at the World Trade Center, he had gone there to help rescue people bravely. Salman was a police cadet and bravely ran in to save people regardless of their religion or race, because as many people will tell you, none of those things mattered that day.

The Police department held an official police funeral to honor this American hero; because that’s what he was: An American hero. Race and religion may not have mattered on that day, but that certainly isn’t the truth every day after September 11, 2001. Until this day, you will not find Mohammad Salman Hamdani’s name anywhere on the 9/11 First Responder’s Memorial. A fact that disheartens Salman’s mother Talat until this day. She continues to fight for his name to be included with the first responders. He is included with the more than 10,000 victims of the terror attacks. As a gesture, New York named a street after Salman in 2014. While this was a great way to honor the American hero, it still ignores the fact that he is not ‘officially’ recognized as American hero on the Memorial. As his mother, Talat puts it, “The city of New York has disclaimed my son.” The Patriot Act, signed in 2001 by President George W. Bush to combat terrorism, lists Salman as a Muslim American hero on pages 7 and 8.

The museum claims that he is not included on the Memorial because he was not an officially recognized as an official member of the NYPD and did not receive the 9/11 Hero’s Medal of Valor. This is said about Salman despite being a trained first responder, cadet for the NYPD, receiving and official NYPD funeral, and being listed as an American hero in the Patriot Act against terrorism. Religion didn’t matter on 9/11, but American society has made it clear that it mattered after. Talat suggests that the memorial is uncomfortable with the name Mohammed being included on the memorial. Whether that is true or not, is up for you to decide, but a street name is hardly a way to repay an American hero that was accused as a terrorist wrongly. It is disgusting to think that his memory will forever be tainted by that.

This is not the first time since 9/11 that being Muslim has caused Americans to accuse someone of a terror attack despite being a good upstanding American. After the Boston Bombing, Sunil Tripathi, was accused as one of the suspects in the bombing, having gone missing days before leading up to the event. Society was quick to turn his parents' Find Sunil Facebook page into a place to call for his death and threaten his family. Months later, Sunil body was found, in what was determined to be a suicide. The anti-Islamic hatred was used as fuel for this accusation, even though Sunil was not Muslim. Americans have started accusing people of being Muslim as if there was something wrong with it. Seems the lines are getting blurred between who a Muslim is, and who is just someone of middle eastern descent.

Today, we can see that culture invade the 2016 Presidential Race. On September 16, 2016, Donald Trump came out to finally say President Barak Obama is an American. Trump is one of the founders of the Birther Scandal, claiming Obama was born in Kenya and suggesting that he is Muslim as well. Many people know the first part, but he was also active in sparking the idea that he is Muslim as well. At a Trump rally last September, a supporter asked how we handle Muslims, including our President. Trump responded with “You know, a lot of people are saying that and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening. We're going to be looking at that and many other things." Trump continued to perpetuate this afterward with his Anti-Muslim rhetoric and Muslim registration program. The thing is, Trump’s Muslim based arguments are nothing new, and they are only continuing the culture created on 9/11. Donald Trump can act like he fixed it but admitting the Obama was American, but he only continued it by lying to Americans and saying that Hillary did it. We are not five Trump, it is time to step up and face the consequences of your harmful rhetoric.

The day al-Qaeda committed the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, and convinced Americans that Muslims are the enemy was the day they won. When we attack good people based on their religion, is the day the idea of America died. ISIS is now perpetuating the very same idea. They want you to hate Muslim people, they want you to fear, and they want destruction. Now, we can sit here and accept that America died on September 11, or we can stand up and start to fight back with love and compassion. We can make sure that our American heroes like Salman are honored. We can make sure that we are not quick to accuse people of terrible things, just because of what we think their name looks like. We can accept refugees calling out for our help with open arms. We can make sure Trump knows he is wrong by taking political action. We need to start living up to the idea that on 9/11 religion, race, and creed did not matter, otherwise, we might as well start writing the eulogy for an idea that I once knew: America.