I remember turning on the TV that morning in our tiny one-bedroom apartment, and seeing the incredible footage of the airplanes striking the towers. “This can’t be happening”. It looked unreal.

The following Sunday our church was packed. People were looking for answers. The government and the media said the terrorists “hated us for our freedom”. It didn’t quite make sense, but nobody offered a better explanation.

And so my friends and I cheered when the US invaded Afghanistan. We cheered when George Bush gave the ultimatum to Saddam Hussein. Watching the coverage of air raids on Baghdad was like watching fireworks on Independence Day, it was exciting!

Many years have passed, before I discovered the truth about the real reasons behind the attacks. They don’t hate us for our freedoms. They hate us because our government topples their governments, installs and supports puppet dictators, and wages or funds wars that kill millions (yes, MILLIONS) of their people.

The red pill is not easy to swallow. The truth is bitter, and unpopular. But learning (and speaking!) the truth, is the only meaningful way to honor the memory of those who died on 9/11 and in its aftermath.