 |  | A powerful and sophisticated insight into 9/11 bombers' mindset |  |
This docu-drama is a meticulously researched account of the recruitment and radicalization of the 9/11 bombers. It represents well the ambivalence some of them felt; it articulates eloquently the sense of alienation that many modern Muslims feel about the West and the double-standards that characterise US foreign policy in the Middle East; it presents fairly the debate within Islam about suicide vs. martyrdom.
It is unparalleled amongst programmes I have seen in explaining so coherently how these particular individuals came to justify to themselves the attacks that took place on September 11. A sobering and compelling account.
January 11, 2007| | | They were just like us... | |
People often view the 9/11 hijackers as Islamic terrorists... and they are right. But what they most often don't do is think realistically about what terrorists are and what they must do, to protect their evil plans... be real people.
Those terrorists were not any more fanatical about what they believe, than many of the football fans I have seen about football or other sports. Business people can sometimes be equally fanatical, sacrificing everything in their quest to get ahead of others. Many marriages have been ruined, many families destroyed, many communities and even nations have been damaged because of how extreme those "normal" people are.
But the documentary also points out clearly one other fact: True believers of Islam, as depicted in the movie, and as practiced by al-Qaida, believe that real life can come only after death, only if that death removes sinners from the earth.
This movie is a must-see and a must-have, for anybody wanting to know about the facts of 9/11 and who want to share with others that information.
One other thing, I want to personally add about the subject: Islamic fundamentalists take a literal reading of the whole Quran as their truth. Only liberal Muslims who question the authority of the Quran can live that "religion of peace," so often passed off as correct Islam. Therefore, Islamic fundamentalists will all believe that Israel is to be destroyed and that all infidels must be either converted to Islam or also destroyed. Those teachings come from a very literal interpretation of the Quran.
The Christian fundamentalist, on the other hand, while he also interprets his scriptures literally (the Bible), follows a very different perspective concerning non-believers. He is to "turn the other cheek", "pray for those who persecute you", and live by example the life of being submitted to God.
December 23, 2006I saw this movie for the first time in May. Just happened to be channel surfing, and it immediately caught my eye. This movie profiles the events of the hi-jackers that led to September 11th. It particularly focuses on Ziad Jarrah (United Flight 93) and how seemingly he was caught like a bear in a trap up in the fundamental teachings of radical Islam. How he was approached by Mohammed Haydar Zammar who was possibly a recruiter for Al Qaeda and asked Ziad, "Are you a good muslim"? "Do you pray?" In a group disucssion he further tells would be young recruits that "Every good Muslim must train for Jihad." Ziad along with Mohammed Atta (American Flight 11)begins to undergo a dark transformation. These two young men along with the other hi-jackers went off to Afghanistan and trained for Jihad with the so-called promises of a life in paradise with seventy virgins. After their training, they apply for Visas and flight schools and are sent to America to begin the flight training for the hi-jackings. They are even told to "blend in with Americans". In their emails, they refer to 911 as "The Big Wedding" and correspond with Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind behind the 911 attacks. Ziad's actions had a devastating effect on his family members, his father, uncle and most of all, his wife. His uncle tells Ziad that deceiving her was like having another woman on the side. Kinda scary in one scene where there was a secret meeting between Mohammed Atta, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, and Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed who said, "When we first conceived this holy operation, we were planning to launch a blizzard of planes." Also another scary scene in which another hi-jacker refers to martydom as "the surest path to paradise." The movie particularly hit home with me, because I knew a family friend that was on the first plane that hit World Trade Center. Some may not feel compelled to watch this movie, but I feel that we should never forget those who lost their lives on September 11th along with the brave firefighters and policemen who lost their lives to save others. As one famous quote, "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it". I think that Antonia Bird did a wonderful job in trying to portray the lives of these young men and the effect that their actions had on their families, and the entire world in general. This unprecedented event changed the way we see the world forever.
October 9, 2006'The Hamburg Cell' is an excellent film that follows the 9/11 hijackers in the years leading up to the attacks. The film is simple, yet extremely compelling. The acting is superb, and the characters are portrayed not as frothing at the mouth lunatics, but as the rather ordinary-albeit demented-young men that they were. The film succeeds in showing how one can go from a shy, secular, college student, to an angry, brainwashed, religious zealot. From the several books that I have read on the subject, the film seems to be very accurate. Conspiracy theories notwithstanding, this is the true story of the 9/11 hijackers and how they came to be the most infamous men of our generation. I highly recommend this film.
October 3, 2006Tries to show how the hijackers came to do what they did, but it's still hard to get your head around. Makes you sad and angry at the same time. In spite of the sensitive subject matter, it's a beautifully made movie. Definitely worth seeing.
October 2, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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