NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the eleventh anniversary of 9/11, AJC Executive Director David Harris issued the following statement:
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"Eleven years ago, our city and nation suffered monstrous acts of terrorism. We were attacked by radical Islamist forces not for a specific policy, but for who we are -- an open, democratic, pluralistic society.
"We remember the cherished lives of the nearly 3,000 people who were murdered on that fateful day, a day seared into our memory forever.
"We can only begin to imagine the enduring pain -- and irretrievable loss -- of the families, friends, and colleagues of those who were slain.
"And we recall the extraordinary courage of those who put their own lives on the line—and, in many cases, sacrificed their lives—so that others might live.
"Painful memories will always remain, as they should, but remembrance stirs us to reflect on both the evil and, yes, the good that emerged on that tragic day and in its aftermath.
"The good is rooted in the heart and soul of American society. Right after 9/11, as a country, we stood as one. We were all in this together—as proud, strong, determined Americans. We must never lose that sense of common destiny.
"Memories and reflections of 9/11, and what has transpired since, inspire us to recommit to the core values that form the bedrock of the United States of America. We must never falter in the defense of human freedom and human dignity.
"And never again should we underestimate our enemies or suffer from a failure of imagination. 9/11 was a sobering reminder that those who despise what we stand for—liberty, diversity, religious freedom, and women's equality—will stop at nothing in the name of their demented political and religious ideology.
"We and our allies—the family of democratic countries and common values—must remain ever vigilant and ever united."
SOURCE American Jewish Committee
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