2003 Speeches
Remarks by Ambassador Frank Lavin at September 11 Remembrance Ceremony, Singapore, 2003
September 11, 2003
As Prepared for Delivery
Minister Lee, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here this evening.
We are here to honor the memory of the men, women and children murdered two years ago this day by Al Qaeda terrorists in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. We are also here to show our sympathy for the families and friends whose lives were shattered by those crimes.
Words alone cannot right the terrible wrong done that day, or heal the broken hearts and lives of the victims. Only God and time can work that miracle.
But words, prayers, and music are all we have to offer tonight. This ceremony on a warm and soft evening in Singapore is a world away from that harsh and fatal morning in the United States. Let me frame my remarks with three words: memory, conviction, and courage.
MEMORY
First, memory. I don’t think any of us will forget where we were when we witnessed the events of September 11, 2001.
What we need to remember about September 11th is not just the horror and sorrow of that day, but that it was merely the most horrific, the most lethal, of a series of terrorist attacks that had been carried out over many years.
The past decade brought us the attacks on the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. The Khobar towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. The USS Cole attack in Yemen. These weren’t natural disasters.
And since 9/11 we have seen the Bali blast, the Jakarta bombing, the attack on the U.N. in Baghdad, and the targeting of Mosques and religious leaders in Iraq.
So the attack of 9/11 was a flashpoint - I would call it a turning point -- in a longer struggle.
There were some common elements to all of these cruel acts. The goal was to kill and injure as many as possible. It didn’t matter who - Americans, Indonesians, Iraqis, Singaporeans, or Australians; adults, children, passerby, or shop owner, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, or Jew.
The second common element was Al Qaeda and its support group’s attempt to twist one of the world’s great religions into a movement of hatred. There is a small extremist group within the Muslim community, and it poses a challenge to all of us.
This takes me to my next word: conviction.
CONVICTION
Terrorists seek to win by instilling fear - terror - in our hearts. They want to intimidate moderate Muslims. They want to kill the leaders in Muslim societies. They want to play off racial, ethnic, and religious differences to promote conflict among peoples. The terrorists offer a potent brew of hatred, totalitarianism, and violence.
But we need to draw on the best of the human spirit to beat the worst of the human spirit.
We need to believe in our societies, with all of our faults and imperfections.
We cannot respond to hatred with hatred. We cannot sip from the cup of bitterness. Even when we have to take up arms we must do so judiciously.
We need to help societies adopt policies that will lead to economic growth and political inclusion.
And we need to realize that what unites us is stronger than what divides us. People of every faith seek to raise their families, earn their livings, live in peace with their neighbors, and enjoy the blessings God has provided. This is not a conflict between Islam and the West. It is a conflict between the civilized world and the terrorists.
Indeed, the future of the Muslim world will be determined foremost by the Muslims themselves. We on the outside can and should help. But it is up to the Muslim community to come to terms with those who would hijack their faith and use it to promote violence.
COURAGE
My final word is courage. We are winning this fight, but there will be twists and turns in the road. The terrorists have lost their operating base in Afghanistan. Most of their leadership is out of action. But the threat, though diminished, remains.
We are fortunate to be protected by the finest men and women our nation has to offer. In uniform, in our police and intelligence services, or in suit and tie, they put their lives at risk so that our lives will not be at risk. And we are grateful for the support of friends and allies in this struggle. We are particularly grateful for the friendship and support of Singapore as we continue this journey. Tonight, let us renew our mutual commitment to all victims of terrorism and their families - wherever they may be found -- that the terrorists will answer for their crimes, and that justice will be done.
Thank you.