New Clips And Reports Added To The MEMRI 9/11 Documentation Project To Mark The 20th Anniversary Of 9/11

In the two decades since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has been monitoring, translating, and documenting content about the attacks in media from the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond. The MEMRI 9/11 Documentation Project, launched to mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks, archives all MEMRI translations, analysis, and clips about the attacks and their aftermath, and has amassed one of the largest and most unique archives in the world on this subject. These archives allow an in-depth examination of the ideological roots and other factors that ultimately led to the attacks.

The content includes:

Primary source material from Arab and Islamic print, broadcast, and online media and other sources.
Material from Al-Qaeda and affiliates, including leaders' speeches, interviews, wills, and statements.
Material from ISIS on 9/11.
Al-Qaeda recruitment, outreach, and indoctrination materials.
Conspiracy theories denying Arab or Muslim responsibility for the attacks – some collected from recent sermons in the U.S. monitored by the MEMRI Sermons by Imams in the West project.

Visit MEMRI.org for the MEMRI 9/11 Documentation Project and the MEMRI TV 9/11 Documentation Project

New Research Released From The 9/11 Documentation Project In 2021

New MEMRI reports and videos added to the 9/11 Documentation Project in 2021 focus on:

'Terror In America' series of reactions to 9/11 from the Arab and Muslim world.
Iranian analyst claiming the U.S. may have been behind 9/11.
Statements by Washington, D.C. imam that Zionists orchestrated 9/11.
Taliban spokesman justifying their refusal in 2001 to hand over Osama Bin Laden to the U.S.
Yemeni Houthis indoctrinating children and teaching that 9/11 was staged by the U.S.
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri criticizes Al-Jazeera TV for its documentary on the 9/11 attacks.
9/11 was a turning point in modern Muslim history, states an editorial in an ISIS weekly newspaper.
The events of 9/11 were staged by the U.S. and president George W. Bush should be interrogated over his role in it, according to a prominent British Islamist.
9/11 and COVID-19 were both orchestrated by global Zionism, according to an Australian imam.
9/11 was a Jewish and Christian conspiracy for a pretext to launch an anti-Muslim Crusade, according to a Yemeni Houthi official.
Claims that 9/11 and the beheading of the French teacher Samuel Paty were carried out by Muslims are both "bogus," according to a Miami imam.
Paty's murder was orchestrated just like 9/11, says a Qatari sociologist.
A 9/11 anniversary sermon delivered at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic center in Virginia – the mosque known as the "9/11 mosque" because Anwar Al-Awlaki, later an Al-Qaeda leader, and some of the hijackers and other individuals involved were connected with it. The preacher noted that the idea of "never forget 9/11" does not justify the injustice caused to Muslims throughout the world by the U.S.
Collected jihadi reactions to the 9/11 events and to its anniversaries, including celebrations and threats.

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MEMRI Reports, Analysis, And Clips From The 9/11 Documentation Project 2020-2021

Special Announcement No. 1101, MEMRI Re-Releases 'The Arab And Iranian Reaction To 9/11 Five Years Later - MEMRI FILMS Documentary' To Mark The 20th Anniversary Of 9/11 – September 9, 2021

To mark the 20th anniversary of September 11, 2001 attacks, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) re-released the 9/11 documentary "The Arab And Iranian Reaction To 9/11 – Five Years Later," which incorporates footage from various TV and satellite stations in the Middle East. This documentary on Arab and Iranian media reactions to the 9/11 attacks was first released in 2006, to mark the fifth anniversary of the attacks. It is narrated by Tony award-winning actor, director, and producer Ron Silver, who passed away in 2009. With the Taliban recently taking control of Afghanistan, the resurgent threat from Al-Qaeda, and the new potential base of operations for jihadi groups in the region, the film remains relevant today. We encourage you to watch the documentary for its enduring significance – you can view the video in its entirety here.

Read the report here.

MEMRI Daily Brief No. 313, Remembering 9/11 – Time For The U.S. To Play The Whole Field – September 9, 2021

When the United States had a reliable and predictable peer enemy during the Cold War, we played the game of deterrence on a global scale and we were able to cover our flanks with surrogates, intelligence, and surveillance. In the aftermath of catastrophic success, the defeat of Saddam Hussein, and the fall of the Soviet Union, we started a process of myopic focus on one type of threat at a time. Initially it was a shift to preparing for two medium contingencies against rogue states like Iraq and North Korea with a concurrent drawdown of defense and intelligence capabilities to yield a piece dividend. After the attack on 9/11 it turned to a national focus on the "War on Terror." Now in the aftermath of our retreat from Afghanistan in the wake of 20 years of war, we are again shifting to a Chinese competitor that we have effectively ignored until recently, and whom we have let shift the global and regional power dynamic without us really understanding what was happening.

Read the report here.

Special Announcement No. 1100, 'Terror In America' Series Of Translations Of Reactions To 9/11 From Across The Arab And Muslim World – From The MEMRI Archives – September 9, 2021

Immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and through December 2001, MEMRI published its "Terror in America" series of 32 Special Dispatch translations of statements from across the Arab world. These initial reports provide a window into reactions to the attacks from the region via its media.

Read this report here.

MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9540, Iranian Political Analyst Emad Abshenas: U.S. May Have Been Behind 9/11; Biden Wanted Kabul Airport Bombings; He Does Not Really Care About American Lives, His Main Concern Is To Undermine The Security Of China, Russia, And Iran – September 7, 2021

Iranian political analyst Emad Abshenas, editor-in-chief of the Iran Diplomatic, said that the U.S. government and President Biden wanted the Kabul airport bombing to happen in order to undermine the security of the region. He made these remarks in a show that aired on Mayadeen TV (Lebanon) on September 1, 2021. Abshenas said that it was the Americans who brought ISIS into Afghanistan and equipped them with modern weapons. He added that now Iran, China, and Russia must cooperate in order to defeat the terrorism in the region, or else it will spread throughout the entire world. For more about Emad Abshenas, see MEMRI TV clips 9005, 9003, 8608, 8581, 8341, 8320, 8211, 8057, 7939.

Read this report here; view video on MEMRI TV here.

MEMRI Daily Brief No. 311, The Tragedy Of Afghanistan And Its Three Utopian Disasters – September 7, 2021

Afghanistan's second dystopia began with the triumphant mujahideen of 1992. Supported by the United States against the Soviets, they had been cultivated by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, who favored the most radical and ideological of the feuding factions, with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e-Islami receiving more support than any other Afghan rebel group. Hekmatyar had been deeply influenced as a young man by the works of the Egyptian Islamist ideologue Sayyid Qutub. Infighting by rival Afghan warlords would destroy much of the country once they came to power (Hekmatyar's forces indiscriminately shelling much of Kabul into rubble) before the Taliban entered Kabul in 1996. Jihadist rule along Taliban lines would continue until they themselves would be overthrown in November 2001 by the Americans following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, organized by Al-Qaeda.

Read the report here.

MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9535, Washington D.C. Imam Abdul Alim Musa: The Zionists Run America, They Bombed Kabul Airport To Influence Biden's Iran Policy – Just Like They Orchestrated 9/11 - September 2, 2021

Imam Abdul Alim Musa, Director of Masjid Al-Islam in Washington D.C. said that "the Zionists" carried out the August 2021 Kabul airport bombings, killing American troops, in order to influence President Biden's policy on Iran. He made his remarks in a Friday sermon that aired on As-Sabiqun DC on YouTube on August 27, 2021. He said that the Israeli delegation was supposed to meet with President Biden, whom he referred to as "whatever his name is," but was delayed because of the bombing in order to gauge Biden's stance on Iran. Musa also said that Islam's main enemy is the Zionists, and that the U.S. serves the Zionists. He said that this is similar to the 9/11 attacks, which he claimed were also carried out by the Zionists. Musa went on to say that the Zionists are telling President Biden what to do, but that Biden has the opportunity to save America from Zionism. He said that the Zionists control Congress, the Senate, and the U.S. economy, and that they "run America." For more about Imam Abdul Alim Musa, see MEMRI TV clips nos. 5869, 5762,and 2326.

Read this report here; view video on MEMRI TV here.

MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9421, Houthi Indoctrination Of Children: Chanting 'Death To America, Israel' Gives Life To The People They Kill, Corrupt; 9/11 Was Staged By The U.S., Jews As Pretext For Occupying Arab Countries – June 30, 2021

In a series of shows that aired on Al-Eman TV (Houthis-Yemen), Houthi scholars indoctrinated children against the U.S., Jews, Israel, and the leaders of the Gulf states. In a show that aired on June 12, 2021, Houthi Islamic scholar Dr. Ahmad Al-Shami said that the "scam" of 9/11 was a "theatrical show produced by the Jews and the Americans." He said that the Americans decided to kill "a group of their own people" in order to create a pretext to occupy and destroy Arab and Islamic countries. Dr. Al-Shami said that chanting "Death to America" means life for all those people "that America is killing." He added that "Death to Israel" means life to all the people, "in whose killing and corruption Israel is taking part." In a show that aired on June 14, 2021, Houthi Islamic scholar Dr. Khaled Mousa said that Muslim leaders should not follow the example of Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince, who leads his people "to taverns" and Mohamed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, who leads his people "to nightclubs." Rather, he said, they should lead their people to the liberation of "occupied lands such as Palestine and others." The children concluded their lesson by chanting: "Allah Akbar! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse be upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!"

Read this report here; view video on MEMRI TV here.

MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 8931, In New Video, Al-Qaeda Leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri Describes U.S. Peace Plan In Middle East As 'Crusade Of The Century', Condemns Normalization With Israel, Slams Al-Jazeera For 2019 Documentary On 9/11 Attacks – September 14, 2020

On September 11, 2020 the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Sahab Media Foundation released a video message from the group's top leader, Ayman Al-Zawhiri. The 45-minute video is the first installment in a series titled "The Deal of the Century Or the Crusade of the Century." It was released on the anniversary of Al-Qaeda's terror attacks on the U.S in 2001, although it does not deal with the attacks directly. Al-Zawahiri addressed U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East in the first part of the video, and then went on to refute allegations made in a documentary aired in September 2019 on Al-Jazeera regarding cooperation between his organization and official elements in Arab countries. It should be noted that Al-Zawahiri's message does not appear to have been recorded recently, seeing that he does not address any of the momentous events of 2020. The events mentioned by Al-Zawahiri himself that can be dated are the Al-Jazeera documentary from September 2019, and the Peace to Prosperity conference which took place in Manama, Bahrain, in June 2019.

Read this report here.

MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 8929, Editorial In ISIS Weekly Al-Naba: 9/11 Was A Turning-Point In Modern Muslim History, But Al-Qaeda Betrayed The Ultimate Goal Of Establishing The Caliphate – September 11, 2020

Ahead of the 19th 9/11 anniversary, ISIS's Al-Naba weekly published an editorial titled "From 9/11 to the Muslim Caliphate," which described 9/11 as "a tremendous event" which caused great losses to the enemy, but also marked the beginning of the new crusades against Islam and thus caused much harm to the Muslims as well. The editorial criticizes Al-Qaeda for focusing on fighting the U.S. and its allies, while ignoring the Muslims' other enemies, and while betraying the real goal of the ongoing war between Islam and its enemies: the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate acting to exalt the word of Allah. According to the editorial, Al-Qaeda betrayed this goal when it let others reap the fruits of its victories, for example groups like the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), which actually serve their own interests and those of America. ISIS, it stresses, is the only group that has not deviated from the correct path and remains loyal to the cause of true monotheism and the Islamic Caliphate.

Read this report here.

The editorial in Al-Naba.

MEMRI TV Clips From The 9/11 Documentation Project This Year

MEMRI TV Clip No. 9063, Taliban Spokesman Mohammad Naeem Justifies 2001 Taliban Refusal To Hand Bin Laden Over: The U.S. Refused To Present Evidence That He Was Responsible For 9/11 Attacks – August 29, 2021

Taliban Spokesman Mohammad Naeem said that the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden to the U.S. after 9/11 because the Americans refused to present evidence that he was responsible for the attacks. He made his remarks in an interview that aired on BBC Arabic TV (U.K.) on August 29, 2021. Naeem said that the Taliban condemned the attacks at the time and wanted to negotiate with the U.S., but the U.S. refused. He added that "if someone only uses force, and refuses to talk and reach understandings, he is the source of the problem," referring to the U.S.

View this clip on MEMRI TV here.

MEMRI TV Clip No. 8283, 9/11 Anniversary Sermon At Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque, Where Al-Qaeda Leader Al-Awlaki Was Imam On 9/11: Saying 'Never Forget 9/11' Does Not Justify The Injustice America Has Caused Throughout The World; 'Never Again' Will We Allow Society To Transgress – September 11, 2020

On September 11, 2020, Imam Saif Rahman delivered a Friday Sermon titled "The Empire Strikes Back" at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, the Fairfax County, Virginia mosque where Anwar Al-Awlaki, a leader in Al-Qaeda, had been the imam when the 9/11 attacks took place, and some of the hijackers were known to have visited the mosque. Imam Rahman said that Allah permits proportional retribution, but that the U.S. and its society acted unjustly and disproportionately by displacing over 25 million people in retribution for the 3,500 people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks. He said that any Americans – including Muslims – who vote, who pay taxes, or who are "not involved in making change" are "part of the problem." He added that the "Never Forget" slogan does not justify the damage and injustices caused in the world by the United States. After mentioning that some members of the Dar Al-Hijrah community had suffered injustice following 9/11, Imam Rahman said that the U.S. has oppressed community after community since its inception, including blacks and Native Americans. Urging American Muslims to say "Enough," he added that it is each individual’s responsibility to "translate" the slogan "Never Again" to: "Never again will I allow our society to transgress."

View this clip on MEMRI TV here.

MEMRI TV Clip No. 8526, British Islamist Dr. Abdur-Rahman Dimashqiah: 9/11 Was An Inside Job; George W. Bush Should Be Interrogated For His Role In It; Former U.S. Presidents Bush Sr., Bush Jr., And Nixon Are Members Of The Illuminati, Are Devil Worshippers – December 5, 2020

In a video posted to his YouTube channel on December 5, 2020, Lebanese-born British Islamic scholar Dr. Abdur-Rahman Dimashqiah said that a European scientific organization has concluded that controlled demolitions had taken place on 9/11, and that this proves 9/11 was an inside job. He said that the Muslims who were accused of hijacking the planes had been "packed" among civilians on a cargo or military plane for the purpose of the attack. Dr. Dimashqiah said that nobody is speaking out about the European scientists' alleged conclusion because they do not want to risk their lives by speaking out against devil worshippers and the Illuminati. He elaborated that George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Richard Nixon, and others were all members of the Illuminati, that people blame Muslims for 9/11 because it is easier than blaming this "demonic" group, and that President Bush should be interrogated about what happened on 9/11. Dr. Dimashqiah added that even if the Muslim hijackers had really carried out the attack, the U.S. government is guilty of facilitating it.

View this clip on MEMRI TV here.

MEMRI TV Clip No. 8506, Australian Imam Sufyaan Khalifa: Both COVID-19 And 9/11 Were Orchestrated By Global Zionism, Freemasonry As Part Of A Plan To Take Over The World – September 16, 2020

On September 16, 2020, Australian Imam Sufyaan Khalifa uploaded to his YouTube channel a video in which he said that the 9/11 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic were “concocted” in the same “laboratory” of global Zionism and Freemasonry. He said that ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram also came from this same Zionist source, which he described as the “party” of the Antichrist and of Satan. He said that these few people use the global banks, the United Nations, the WHO, and other organizations for cover. Explaining that there is significance to the similarities between the numbers 19 and 9/11, Imam Khalifa said that both events were orchestrated as part of a Zionist plan to take over the world.

View this clip on MEMRI TV here.

MEMRI TV Clip No. 8478, Houthi Official Boshra Al-Mahtouri: 9/11 Was A Jewish, Christian Conspiracy To Launch A Crusade Against The Muslims – November 18, 2020

Yemeni TV host Boshra Al-Mahtouri, the Undersecretary for Girls’ Education in the Houthi Ministry of Education, said in a November 18, 2020 show on Al-Eman TV (Houthis – Yemen) that media disinformation is a form of “soft” warfare used by the Jews and the Christians against the Muslims. She elaborated that the most salient example of this was the 9/11 attacks, in which she claimed no planes were involved and which she said were part of a long-term strategy to launch a crusade against the Muslims. Al-Mahtouri said that the towers were toppled in a deliberate detonation, that security measures had been suspiciously decreased just before the attacks, and that 4,000 Jews had not showed up to work on the day of the attacks.

View this clip on MEMRI TV here.

Neo-Nazi And White Supremacist Reactions To Taliban Takeover Of Afghanistan – Part I: In U.S. And Internationally, Expressions Of Support, Praise For 'Based" Taliban, And Calls To Emulate Them – Including By Taking Over Western Governments

MEMRI TV Clip No. 8404, Miami Imam Dr. Yousef Fadi Kablawi: The Narrative That Samuel Paty Was Beheaded By A Chechen Is 'Bogus' Just Like The 9/11 Narrative; The Attack Was Staged By French Authorities To Frame The Muslims – October 23, 2020

In a Friday, October 23, 2020 sermon at Masjid As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyyah North Miami, Imam Fadi Kablawi said that the recent beheading of French schoolteacher Samuel Paty was "bogus," "fiction," and a "bedtime story." He said that he does not approve of the murder of Paty, but that he does not believe it was a Chechen who killed him. Dr. Kablawi suggested that French authorities "made up this story" and took a Muslim prisoner, shot him, and then killed Paty in order to accuse the Muslims of the crime. In addition, Dr. Kablawi compared the attack to 9/11 and said that people who believe that 9/11 was carried out by people from the caves of Tora Bora must be "ignorant [people] who vote."

View this clip on MEMRI TV here.

MEMRI TV Clip No. 8375, Qatari Sociologist Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khazraj Al-Ansari: Samuel Paty's Murder May Have Been Orchestrated Like 9/11; Killings, Stabbings Are Normal Reactions To Insults Against The Prophet Muhammad – October 18, 2020

Qatari sociologist Abd Al-Aziz Al-Khazraj Al-Ansari said in a video he uploaded to his YouTube channel on October 18, 2020 that the recent murder and beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty in Paris may have been a "fabrication," similar to how the 9/11 attacks had been "orchestrated" to distort the reputation of Islam. He said that the Chechen killer may have been paid to carry out this attack, and that Paty may have even been paid to insult the Prophet Muhammad. Al-Ansari further said that while he condemns the murder, killings and stabbings are "normal reactions" to attacks against the Prophet Muhammad. He also said that Muslim ambassadors to France should be recalled and that French President Emmanuel Macron should be told that France’s freedom of speech laws are "stupid."

View this clip on MEMRI TV here.

JTTM Reports From The 9/11 Documentation Project This Year

The following are highlighted reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) project added to the MEMRI 9/11 Documentation Project this year.

Government and media may request copies of reports by emailing media@memri.org.

Articles On Turkish Pro-Al-Qaeda Website Celebrate 9/11: 'No Matter How Hard The Enemy May Try, The Rise Of The Army Of Islam Cannot Be Stopped' – Archival – August 31, 2021