As we mark 25 years since the September 11 attacks, we join people all across the country and the globe in remembering all those lost in the horrific attacks of that day.
We honor all of the first responders, fire fighters, and other ordinary people who acted with extraordinary courage to save the lives of others, even at the cost of their own.
We also mourn all of those who were killed in the decades of wars that followed, including hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere across the Middle East and around the globe.
On Sep. 12, 2001, FCNL issued a statement that was both a proclamation and a prayer.
Amid the fear, grief, and confusion of that painful moment, those at FCNL found clarity in conviction: “War is not the answer.”
And as our country rushed into war, we prayed: “Out of darkness and tragedy, may God show us the path of true and lasting peace.”
Twenty-five years later, let us carry forward that prophetic call, and once again pray for spirit to guide us to that better path.
Below are reflections on the September 11 attacks and what came after. We would invite you to spend time today reflecting as well. Join us next week, Tuesday, September 15 at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT for Still Bearing Witness, where we will reflect together as a community.
Clarity Amidst Tragedy: Working at FCNL on 9/11
FCNL’s Alicia McBride shared a personal reflection recounting her experience working at FCNL on that frightening day and in the weeks that followed.
“It came as I was beginning my adult working life, and the people I experienced it with helped shape who I am and what I do today.”
A big part of Alicia’s journey to become a Quaker came from this experience of working at FCNL through 9/11.
“Here were people who listened deeply and spoke out of what they heard from Spirit, even when it went against the prevailing sentiments – on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC, and even among some Friends.”
“Only gradually did I come to appreciate the clarity with which FCNL and its leaders acted amidst this tragedy,” she added. As the statement FCNL issued said: “War will only compound the tremendous assault on humanity that has already occurred. War is not the answer.”
25 years after 9/11, war is still not the answer
FCNL’s Bridget Moix wrote in Religion News Service about the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. She points to how our country could have taken a different approach to addressing the violence of that day.
The United States “could have honored the victims of 9/11 and their loved ones by choosing a path that upheld human dignity and protected innocent lives from further violence.”
As Bridget writes, “For 25 years, fear and violence have too often driven U.S. policy. We need not allow them to dictate what comes next.”
I Don’t Remember 9/11. I Remember What Came After.
Devra Baxter, who served as FCNL’s program assistant for militarism and human rights in 2024-2025, reflected for us on “how a response to one terrible day became a permanent state of war— and what can be done to change this legacy.”
“For me, this 25th anniversary is an opportunity not only to remember, but to reflect on what came after, reckon with what continues to be done in its wake, and consider how we might finally begin to break this cycle of violence,” she wrote.
“Let us honor those we lost by working toward a future that breaks from the cycle of fear, violence, and endless war that followed.”
Anti-Muslim Bigotry from Political Leaders is Dangerous
The violence and hatred targeted at Muslim and Middle Eastern communities after 9/11 marked a dark and painful moment of our history. Shamefully, bigotry against our Muslim neighbors remains far too prevalent today, including from elected officials. This week, we joined hundreds of faith leaders and organizations in issuing a united call with the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign for it to end:
“We—as religious leaders and people of faith across the United States—express our concern and alarm over the concerted escalation of anti-Muslim bigotry from elected officials. We reaffirm our commitment to standing shoulder-to-shoulder alongside American Muslims in the pursuit of religious freedom, respect, liberty, fairness, and equality for all.”
