[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 163 (Tuesday, September 21, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  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.