9/11 victims: lest we forget

Lt. Gregg Arthur Atlas (44) was a talented and an excellent Fireman in Ladder 34. He was a friendly person with a smile on his face and spontaneously spelled out practical jokes to take the pressure off of a serious moment.

His company was the first unit to respond the call on the 9/11/2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York and Gregg was probably the first FDNY officer to enter the Twin Towers. Although troubled by the age, he did not back down to save thousands of people (a victim remembers).

Gregg was one of the many firefighters who valiantly gave their lives in the line of duty, to rescue the innocent people in the World Trade Center. Yes, innocent, read again if you must, if you are an apologist of the 9/11 atrocities against the humanity. Two Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety Six innocent lives, of many nations, religions and races could not make it to the ground alive, but their spirits still live inside the freedom loving people, who now know the enemy, shrewd enough to make a religion their alibi of madness. They are the enemy of the mankind; there should be no doubt about that.

Nurul Haq Miah and Shakila Yasmin was a Bangladeshi Muslim couple who used to work in the world trade center and was among the unfortunate ones. Nurul was in the 99th floor, attending a meeting when the 1st plane hit their office. Nurul used to work for Marsh & McLennan for about 15 years. Shakila's office was located in the 97th floor, just below. Shakila just started about one year ago six months after they got married on April 2, 2000. (More info)

USA honored them this year by renaming the southeast corner of the 3rd Avenue and Ovington Avenue of Ney York after Shakila Yasmin and Nurul Haque Miah, two Bangladeshi victims of the 9/11.

There are more Bangladeshi victims who died inside the planes which crashed in the world trade center and elsewhere. Syed Muazzem Ali pays his tribute to the six Bangladeshi-Americans who died on 9/11 in the Daily Star.

If you want to know about more of the 2996 victims please look at the pages of bloggers remembering the victims.

In has been five years since that horrible day. Today people talk of the "hypocritical" US policy toward the Middle East that talks democracy but supports authoritarian regimes like Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. President Bush's "Axis of Evil" states (Iran, Iraq, and North Korea) have emerged more powerful, belligerent, and greater threats. Abhi of Sepia Mutiny writes in a touching post:

Five years later can it be said that anyone (even our closest allies) really "hears us?" Can it be said that America is admired for how it responded in the years following the attacks? Does anyone feel safer? I am disappointed because we have not honored the memories of those who perished by living up to the examples that they set for us. Sacrifice and inner strength and not blind fury or angry words were the weapons that Americans used on that day.

"In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich."

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September 11
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Nurul Haq Miah
Shakila Yasmin
Gregg Arthur Atlas