Life after 9/11

In today’s world there is a lot of mistrust between people and their environment. Several events make sure that this divide and mistrusts grow. One of them is the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York on 9/11/2001.

New York is the story of three friends, Omar, Samir and Maya. Omar has come to America for the first and sees America through the eyes of his new friends Omar and Maya. Life seems to be one big party, but than the most unimaginable thing happens. Two airplanes crash into the World Trade Centre. Everybody is shocked when CNN shows what has happened to the world’s most influential country. This is not an accident, but a terrorist attack against America. This event changes the life of these three youngsters. One fine day Sam gets arrested on accessory to the terrorist attack. He spends nine months in jail where he gets abused, while he is innocent. After his release he is scared of everything and people are scared of him, because he now has a criminal record.

Hardhitting facts
Director Kabir Khan got inspired by a true story. After the attacks of 9/11, 1200 people got arrested and were put in jail on suspicion that they had something to do with the attacks. 99% of them was Muslim. When there was lack of evidence they got released. After their release a lot of them had psychological problems and couldn’t function normally anymore. New York uses this as the backdrop of the story.

The movie shows an emotional and hardhitting fact. When you see and imagine that people were really treated and abused like that, without evidence, it hurts. The effect on their lives after the release is even harder to imagine. The film makes sure this emotion comes across. These people could not find a job, because of their criminal record. And if they did, they would struggle with concentration or psychological problems. Life was not as it used to be. Such incidents can either make your life miserable or it can turn your life 360 degrees into the wrong direction.

Religion should not be misused
One sentence that kept going through my mind was: “We all have one thing in common and that is our religion”. I feel that has been beautifully used, because religion is the reason why Sam got arrested, but before the attacks nobody was aware of their religion. They were just youngsters at school. And how did religion even got in between these happenings is beyond understanding.

Because, think of it for a moment, religion might not even be the real cause of all this. A government makes decisions on basis of political agenda’s and not because of their Christian or Islamic background. Somewhere down the line in the second half, you keep thinking that even though you are not a terrorist, the American government will treat you and make you one, but this does not give you the right to also become one. Evil cannot be fought with evil. Religion has nothing to do with it. Every religion teaches peace and when one uses religion to teach violence then that is just wrong.

B-Positive
A person who has been mistreated and abused for months, cannot just go on with his life after that. But we cannot make the same mistakes either. New York does not point the finger at anyone. The last dialogue of Irrfan says it all. People make mistakes, countries make mistakes, but you give each other a lot too. Now there is a new generation and it is time to move on and look positively towards the future. You cannot keep on blaming each and everyone. You have to make sure that you make the best of your life and the lives of your loved ones by not repeating mistakes others did. Love, respect and doing good is the new religion.

Hats off to Kabir Khan for making this film. I hope the film gets the attention it deserves. This film can be another Chak De! India at the awards next year!

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