9/11: A Different Perspective

 The United States team remember the victims of the 9/11 during the IRB 2011 Rugby 

 World Cup Pool C match between Ireland and the USA. New Zealand, 2011. (Pic: Getty)

By Victoria Stephenson

If you are 20 or older, you probably remember where you were on 9/11.

On that day 13 years ago, panic spread across the U.S. and people were glued to the television. Domestic reactions were well known, but what about the rest of the world?

Monica Alvarez, 19, was at school in the Dominican Republic when the news broke out.

“I remember my American teachers running around and acting crazy. Some parents were picking up their kids. I wasn’t picked up; my mom never thought I was in real danger,” Alvarez said.

“My sister was at school too and one of her teachers lost his wife. It was a strange and emotional day for us.”

Although reactions differed around the world, the United States wasn’t the only country in shock.

“Everyone recognized the significance- it was the first time an attack like this happened on US soil,” Alvarez said. “The Dominican Republic hasn’t had any terrorist attacks that compare to 9/11, but if something like that happened to us, we would come together in the same way.”

Miguel Linares of Venezuela has a different viewpoint.

“When it first happened, lots of people talked about it. Not many people speak about it now,” Linares said.

Venezuela has been facing ongoing protests and civil unrest since early 2014.

“It’s different than what is going on in Venezuela. We don’t have other people attacking us,” Linares said. “In time, people can move on from disasters. But it’s good to learn about the past, and remember the people who were there.”

Alexander Rumenoff, also from Venezuela, remembers the day well.

“I was home with my mother watching TV, and my dad called and told us. I saw it on the news. I was shocked because my dad always visits the USA,” Rumenoff said. “That year, my dad had already made his visit. It was surprising because he had just been there and everything was fine.”

Gabby Fatica of England was picked up from school by her parents. “There was so much chaos. I don’t think I understood what was happening,” she said.

Many countries around the world had to deal with collateral damage from 9/11, but the United States wasn’t the only country affected.

“My mother was crying because we have many relatives in the U.S.,” Fatica said. “Later, we learned that they were luckily all okay.”

After the attacks, many people around the world came together to honor the people who died. In Finland, Norway, and Italy, car and pedestrian traffic was halted for a moment of silence. A national day of mourning was declared in Croatia, Israel, Ireland, and the Czech Republic. The French newspaper Le Monde ran a front-page headline reading "Nous sommes tous Américains", or "We are all Americans."

Among other things, many countries held candle-lit services that night to demonstrate international solidarity and honor the 2,996 people who were killed.

Alvarez says the Dominican Republic had prayer services as well.

“Now, if the anniversary is on a Friday, we leave the flag half-mast. We say a prayer for the lives lost. In schools, there is always a moment of silence,” she said.

“I feel for the people who lost loved ones. It was a international tragedy as well as a national one.”