Remembering 9/11
Assembly
Introduction
On the 11th September 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. Two of the planes were used to attack the World Trade Centre in New York, another flew into the Pentagon, and the fourth was heading for Washington before it was brought down by its passengers.
Nearly every teacher will remember exactly where they were when they first heard about the attacks but most secondary school students were either too young for it to make an impression, or weren’t even born. For many of them it is just another piece of history. They may be familiar with images of the Twin Towers being hit, but unsure of what actually happened.
This assembly attempts to spell out the facts of 9/11 for young people who are possibly hearing them for the first time. And for any adults who may have forgotten.
Preparation
In preparation you will need to find two or three students with good reading voices who are willing to help. Make sure they have time to practise. If you are going to use microphones, then give your volunteers a run-through with them or they could be surprised or unnerved by the sound of their own amplified voices. Switch readers regularly to help maintain the attention of your audience. You could have one student asking the questions in the Assembly Script and two more students taking it in turns to answer.
You will also need to find a teacher or two willing to be interviewed about their memories of 9/11. Make sure they see the questions before the assembly so they have a chance to think about them (there are some suggested questions in the Assembly Script below), but don’t let them read their answers from a prepared statement!
Instructions
Play some suitable music to set the mood as everyone enters. Try Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, but keep the volume low so that your students aren’t tempted to talk loudly over the top of it.
When everyone is settled, begin by showing the film: Remembering 9/11.
Then hand over to your volunteers to read the Assembly Script. You might want to step in to conduct the interview with a teacher (or teachers) but if you have confident students, then leave it to them!
At the end of the Assembly Script, oversee the two minutes’ silence. If you have a restless group, you might want to light a candle (or several candles) at the front of your assembly space to give the students something on which to focus.
NOTE: You may well have people in your school who were directly affected by 9/11, or they may know people who were directly affected by 9/11.
If you are aware of anyone, then you might like to offer them the chance to contribute to the assembly, but don’t make them feel that they have to take part. In fact they may want to be excused from the assembly altogether.
If you discover during or after the assembly that someone has been upset, then obviously be prepared to offer a listening ear.
For more information about 9/11, the official Memorial website is an excellent place to start:
http://www.911memorial.org/
Film Digest
Topic: Ethics and Religion
Sub-Topic: The Nature of Evil
On September the 11th 2001, America was attacked by terrorists, leading to the deaths of 2,976 people. This film is a reminder of exactly what happened on that terrible day.
Resources
· Digital projector (connected to the internet or you will need to download the films beforehand).
· Microphones (if needed, or available).
· Two or three volunteers to read the Assembly Script.
· Enough copies of the Assembly Script for you and for each of your volunteers.
· One or two teachers who are willing to be interviewed about their memories of 9/11.
· Music to play as your students enter and leave: try Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings or something similar.
· Candles.
· Matches.
Assembly Script
Show the film: Remembering 9/11
The 11th of September 2015 is the 14th Anniversary of 9/11. Most of us were very young when the 9/11 attacks took place. We can’t even remember them happening.
[For younger form groups, substitute the following introduction:
The 11th of September 2015 is the 14th Anniversary of 9/11. We weren’t even born when the 9/11 attacks took place.]
We’ve seen the pictures and we’ve heard 9/11 talked about, but it’s already part of history. It is something we have always been aware of but we can’t remember a time before it happened, so we don’t think about how it has affected us.
But look around the room at the teachers - every single one of them will remember it happening. Most of them can even remember where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about the attacks.
New York is five hours behind Britain, so when the first plane hit it was 1.46 pm in the UK, and when the North Tower fell it was 3.28 pm. It was an afternoon that people will never forget.
Teacher Interview
Here are some suggested questions for the interview section of the assembly.
· Where were you, and what were you doing when you first heard about the attacks on the World Trade Centre?
· The events took place over a period of nearly two 2 hours - did you hear about them as they happened or not until afterwards?
· Can you describe how you felt?
· How do you think the events of 9/11 have affected the world since?
· Has the world changed for the better or for the worse because of 9/11?
Continue Reading...
The events of 9/11 have shaped the world we live in. Whether we like it or not, we are all affected. So here are the basic facts everyone should know about that terrible day, thirteen years ago.
What was 9/11?
9/11 is the name given to the events of the 11th of September 2001. Terrorists hi-jacked four airliners and used them to attack buildings that were symbolic of American power.
Why is it called 9/11?
In numbers, the 11th of September 2001 is, “eleven, nine, oh, one”, but Americans put the month first, so they say, “nine, eleven, oh, one”.
Who carried out the attacks?
The people who planned and carried out the attacks were terrorists from a worldwide organisation called Al Qaeda.
Al Qaeda means “The Base” in Arabic and it was set up by a man called Osama bin Laden in 1988. A terrorist is someone who uses violence and threats against innocent people in an attempt to force societies to change, and there are three main changes that Al Qaeda terrorists want:
First of all they want to get rid of western influences from Muslim countries: everything from foreign soldiers and global companies, to pop music and skinny jeans. Which means they want to ban anything that does not fit in with Al Qaeda’s narrow view of Islam.
Secondly, they want to fight governments that they think are corrupt. Which means any government that does not agree with Al Qaeda’s narrow view of Islam.
Thirdly, they want to unite all Muslims under one worldwide leader. Which means all Muslims who agree with Al Qaeda’s narrow view of Islam under the leadership of someone Al Qaeda would choose. They are against any Muslim who does not agree with them. And most Muslims do not agree with them.
So does Islam allow terrorism?
Al Qaeda claims to fight for Islam.
One of the consequences of 9/11 is that a lot of people now assume that the religion of Islam allows or even encourages people to become terrorists.
Islam is a religion followed by almost 2 billion people. That’s well over a fifth of the world’s population. People who follow Islam are called Muslims. The word “Islam” is Arabic and can mean “Submission” or “Peace”, and the word “Muslim” means “someone who submits” or “someone who is at peace.”
One of the aims of Islam is that everyone should live together peacefully. So no, Islam does not allow terrorism. In extreme circumstances, Muslims are allowed to fight to defend themselves or to defend other people, but there are strict rules to obey. For instance: unarmed people must not be killed; women and children must not be killed; and other Muslims must not be killed. All of these things happened on 9/11. Most Muslims around the world were just as disgusted by the events of 9/11 as anyone else. And they were afraid too, because they knew that the terrorists’ attacks might be seen as Muslim attacks. Sadly, they were right.
Why did Al Qaeda attack America?
The terrorists chose to attack America because it’s so powerful. Its influence can be felt across the planet and many people don’t like it. American films, TV shows and music can be seen and heard everywhere, spreading American values throughout the globe. American companies such McDonalds, Starbucks and Coca Cola can be found in most countries, bringing with them a taste of the American lifestyle. American soldiers have been involved in conflicts all over the world, and most recently in the Middle East where most people are Muslim.
One of those countries is Kuwait, sandwiched between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. In 1990, under the leadership of a man called Saddam Hussein, Iraq invaded Kuwait. With the authority of the United Nations, America responded by sending troops to Saudi Arabia to fight against Iraq, and the Gulf War began. By the following year, Iraq had been defeated, but American soldiers remained in Saudi Arabia because they believed that Saddam Hussein was still a threat.
Al Qaeda thought that the suffering caused by the war was America’s fault. They also believed it was an insult to have non-Muslim, foreign troops in the country where Islam began, and close to the city of Makkah, the holiest place on Earth for Muslims.
How did Al Qaeda choose its targets?
The three targets chosen by the terrorists were all symbols of America’s power. The Twin Towers were part of the World Trade Centre in New York. There were seven huge buildings at the Centre which contained offices, hotels, restaurants and shops. It was an icon of American wealth, business and consumerism. The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defence which controls the American armed forces. It represents American military power. The third target was in Washington DC, the capital city of the United States. Flight 93 was brought down by its brave passengers before it reached the city, but the hijackers probably intended to fly the plane into the White House or the US Capitol. The White House is the official home of the President - America’s equivalent of 10 Downing Street - and the Capitol is home to the USA’s government – their equivalent of the Houses of Parliament. Both buildings are symbols of America’s political power.
Who was Osama bin Laden?
Osama bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia, the son of an immensely rich businessman with close links to the Saudi royal family. He seems to have led a quiet, but extremely privileged life until he went to university. There he started to read the teachings of extremists who supported war against the non-Muslim world. When he left university in 1979, bin Laden went to Pakistan and used his fortune to help fund a war against the communists in Afghanistan. He formed Al Qaeda in 1988 and set up training camps in Pakistan for his recruits. When the war in Afghanistan was won in 1989, bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia where he was welcomed as a hero. However, when the Gulf War broke out, bin Laden publicly criticised the Saudi government for welcoming foreign troops and began a campaign of terrorist attacks against the West. In 1992 he was forced to leave the country and he went to live in Sudan where he stayed until 1996 when - again - he was thrown out. He returned to Afghanistan where he later declared war against America on behalf of Al Qaeda.
What happened to him?
After 9/11, the American President George W Bush announced that his forces would “kill or capture” Osama bin Laden. But no one knew where the world’s most wanted man was hiding. There were reports that he’d been seen in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and even on American streets by people with over-active imaginations.
Then on May 2nd 2011, shortly after 1am local time, American Special Forces stormed a compound in Northern Pakistan and killed Osama bin Laden with two gunshots. He was buried at sea the same day.
But Al Qaeda continues to plan and carry out acts of terrorism across the world.
How has 9/11 affected the world?
People are still afraid that a similar attack will strike out of the blue.
Muslims have had to deal with ignorant people blaming them for 9/11 – Mosques have been vandalised and individuals have been violently attacked. Even Sikhs have even been assaulted because they were wearing turbans which some people associate with Muslims. There is an “us and them” attitude that has grown worse between Muslims and non-Muslims since 9/11, making it difficult for British Muslims and American Muslims to know where their loyalties should lie.
Security has increased, meaning that the freedom of individuals has decreased. New laws have been passed to make it easier for the police and the security services to stop, search and imprison people on suspicion of terrorism or on suspicion of supporting terrorist activities. Anyone who has passed through an airport in the last few years will know how strict the routine of x-rays, scans and searches has become, especially when travelling to America.
But the biggest effect by far has been the War on Terror. In the days following 9/11, President George W Bush declared that America would be leading a war against terrorists and the people who support them. This has meant that soldiers from United Nations countries, including Britain, have been involved in fighting all over the world, but most especially in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the War on Terror.