The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES AFTER THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
______
HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON
of texas
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, 20 years ago, our country was shaken to its core during the terrorist attacks of September 11th.
9/11 was an attack on the very idea of America--on our freedoms, on our beliefs, and on our very way life. The response required courage, strength, and a sense of togetherness, and President Bush displayed that by going to a Mosque after these attacks as a message of peace and tolerance.
Sadly, these attacks also led to a new type of terror for thousands of Arabs, South Asians, Muslims, Sikhs, and individuals from other regions and religions. These individuals were targeted by violence and hatred because they were Muslim, or perceived to be Muslim. Twenty years ago, shortly after the attacks, a gas station in my district was the site of one of these hate crimes. A white supremacist walked into a Texaco Gas Station in Pleasant Grove, asked the clerk where he was from, and shot him in the face.
Rais Bhuiyan survived the attack but was left sightless in one eye. Unlike his attacker, Mr. Bhuiyan showed courage following the attack. He forgave his attacker and did all he could to prevent his execution, he even sued the state of Texas to prevent the loss of another life.
While we remember our friends, family, and neighbors who lost their lives on 9/11, we must also not forget the victims of hate crimes that also resulted from that attack.
This is why I introduced a resolution yesterday recognizing the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and honoring the victims of the hate crimes that followed. If we ever want to live in a world without hate, we must show tolerance, courage, and understanding rather than blind discrimination. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring these victims so that we can look forward to a more peaceful and tolerant world.
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 163
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