A Quarter Century Later: Americans Solemnly Mark 25 Years Since 9/11

A quarter of a century after the deadliest attack on US soil, Americans gathered on Friday to commemorate the nearly 3,000 lives lost on September 11, 2001. The Al Qaeda attack remains one of the most defining events of this century, shaping countless lives across the globe, particularly in the Middle East during a string of US-led wars.

Former presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden joined New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Vice President JD Vance at the National September 11 Memorial in Manhattan. The solemn ceremony began at 8:46 am with a moment of silence, marking the precise time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the World Trade Centre’s North Tower.

Family members then began reading the names of all 2,977 people who were killed, as well as the six individuals who died in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing. Thousands more have succumbed to illnesses in the years since 9/11, largely from inhaling toxic dust from the collapsed buildings and debris in New York.

Alexander Romero, who was only two years old when his father Elvin Romero was killed in the Twin Towers, paid an emotional tribute to his dad. "Don't leave anything left unsaid, and try to make the absolute most of the limited time that we all have here," he stated. "I love you. I wish I got to know you. Please keep looking out for all of us and keep us safe. We miss and we love you."`

The devastating attacks shaped generations of Americans who lived through the tragedy or grew up in its aftermath, heavily influencing US foreign policy, domestic politics, and public attitudes toward security. President Donald Trump commemorated the solemn occasion at the Defence Department. "We will never, ever forget. That's why we fight today," he declared in a speech outside the Pentagon, near the location where American Airlines Flight 77 struck the military headquarters.

Mourners also gathered for a commemorative ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at the crash site where brave passengers brought down a fourth hijacked jetliner that had been targeted for Washington.

The aftermath of the attacks initiated America's long-standing "war on terror," leading to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the prolonged US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. According to Brown University's Watson School of International and Public Affairs, the United States has spent or is obligated to spend roughly $8 trillion on military intervention and associated costs, while at least 940,000 people have died due to direct war violence.

At home, while the immediate aftermath was marked by deep solidarity and patriotism, Muslim Americans and immigrants from Muslim-majority countries faced a troubling rise in prejudice and hate crimes. Public polls continue to show that 9/11 heavily influences perceptions of Muslims to this day, with New York's first Muslim mayor, Mr Mamdani, facing scrutiny and calls from some Republicans to skip Friday's remembrance ceremony.