By Amita Sharma
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Ground zero of some of the distrust between Muslims and the larger community might just be in Clairemont, where two of the 9/11 hijackers lived at the Parkwood Apartments.
The apartments are now condos with picture-book, white-trimmed facades. But the remodeling hasn’t erased the memory of the building’s one-time occupants for Esther. (She didn’t want her real name used out of fear her comments might offend.) She believes the attacks were a watershed moment in the relationship between Muslims and the larger community.
“It’s probably changed forever,” Esther said. “I think you’re leery when you’re walking down the street and you see someone. I actually had two women who wore scarves and talked in their own language. You just wonder because not everyone is good.”
And that wondering is palpable to Rawya Emalt, who lives just blocks away. She’s worn a head scarf since she came to the United States from Egypt 30 years ago. Before the 9/11 attacks, she felt at ease. After, Emalt said she felt harsh stares.
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KPBS Midday Edition: Local Muslim Community Remembers 9/11
Listen to a radio interview with Imam Taha Hassane of the Islamic Center of San Diego, Tareq Purmul of the Muslim American Society and Marwa Abdalla, a mother of two.