WE TURN NOW TO EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF SURVIVAL AND FORGIVENESS.

TEN DAYS AFTER 9/11 ONE WHO WAS SHOT AT POINT BLANK RANGE BY A WHITE SUPREMACIST WHILE AT WORK, INSPIRED HIM TO SET UP, WORLD WITHOUT HATE, TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE AND TO SAVE HIS ATTACK ERFROM DEATH ROAD.

THIS CONVERSATION IS PART OF EXPLORING HATE, OUR ONGOING SERIES OF REPORTS ON ANTI-SEMITISM, RACISM AND EXTREMISM.

THANKS, CHRISTIANE.

AND THANKS GUEST FOR TALKING WITH US.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING MY STORY.

APPRECIATE THAT.

WE’VE BEEN TALKING IN RECENT WEEKS AND MONTHS ABOUT HOW THE EVENTS OF 9/11 HAVE HAD SUCH A LONG TAIL IN THIS COUNTRY AND TRULY AROUND THE WORLD. AND FOR YOU PERSONALLY THIS A VERY LONG TAIL. IT CHANGED THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE, ACTUALLY.

AND I KNOW IT’S NOT EASY TO TALK ABOUT, BUT IF YOU WOULDN’T MIND, I’D JUST LIKE TO ASK WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DAYS AFTER 9/11, IF YOU WOULDN’T MIND SHARING THAT WITH US.

I WAS WORKING IN MY GAS STATION IN DALLAS, TEXAS.

BEFORE 9/11 I WAS PRETTY WELCOMED BY MY CUSTOMERS IN THE GAS STATIONS, BY FELLOW AMERICANS, BUT AFTER 9/11 I REALIZED THAT ALL THOSE SMILING, FRIENDLY FACES CHANGED AND SUDDENLY THEY LOOKED AT ME IN SUCH A WAY THAT I DID SOMETHING HORRIBLE, I COMMITTED A CRIME.

IT DID NOT TAKE THAT LONG TO REALIZE MY LIFE IN AMERICA WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME.

IT WAS SEPTEMBER 21st, FRIDAY, BUSINESS WAS PRETTY SLOW, AND AROUND NOON, A MAN WALKED IN WEARING A BANDANA, SUN GLASSES, BASEBALL CAP, HOLDING A DOUBLE BARREL SHOTGUN AND HE ASKED ME WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

AND BEFORE I COULD SAY ANYTHING MORE THAN, EXCUSE ME?

HE PULLED THE TRIGGER FROM POINT BLANK RANGE.

WHAT’S THE NEXT THING YOU REMEMBER?

THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER THAT I WAS ABOUT TO DIE.

AND WHEN I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW BLOOD POURING LIKE AN OPEN FAUCET, I THOUGHT MY TIME WAS UP, FRANTICALLY AND INSTINCTIVELY PUT BOTH HANDS ON MY HEAD THINKING I HAVE TO KEEP MY BRAIN FROM SPILLING OUT AND REMEMBER SCREAMING MOM AT THE TOP OF MY VOICE.

I LOOKED AND SAW THE GUNMAN STILL STANDING THERE AND MY MILITARY INSTINCT KICKED IN RIGHT THERE, I THOUGHT I SHOULD APPEAR TO BE DIEING AND FELL TO THE FLOOR IN MY OWN POOL OF BLOOD AND LAID THERE FOR A FEW SECONDS.

YOU THANKFULLY SURVIVED BUT AT GREAT COST, YOU WERE IN GREAT PAIN, YOUR INJURIES WERE QUITE SERIOUS.

DO YOU MIND SHARING WHAT YOUR RECOVERY WAS LIKE.

WELL, AS A RESULT OF THE SHOOTING I UNDER WENT SEVERAL EYE SURGERIES, UNFORTUNATELY THOUGH I LOST VISION IN ONE EYE.

I HAD BETTER THAN PERFECT VISION, 20/10 AS I WAS IN THE AIR FORCE IN BANGLADESH, AND UNFORTUNATELY LOST VISION IN ONE HIGH.

MY FACE WAS AND REMAINS PEPPERED WITH MORE THAN THREE DOZEN BULLET FRAGMENTS.

I LOST MY HOME, MY JOB, MY SENSE OF SECURITY AND MY FIANC ÉE.

BUT GAINED MORE THAN $60,000 IN MEDICAL BILLS.

I REACHED OUT TO THE RED CROSS FOR HELP AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS QUALIFIED ONLY ONE WEEK’S WORTH OF GROCERIES.

HMM.

WHY?

BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT A CITIZEN OR WHY?

THERE WAS NO SUPPORT STRUCTURE.

NGO’S OR ADVOCACY GROUPS HELPING VICTIMS LIKE ME.

BUT 9/11 COMMISSION, FOR EXAMPLE, EXPLICITLY INSURES VICTIMS AND FAMILIES OF HATE CRIMES FROM THE EVENT DO NOT QUALIFY FOR SUPPORT UNDER THEIR DEFINITION.

I NOT ONLY PHYSICALLY FELT LIKE WOUNDED SOLDIER IN A FOREIGN LAND, I FELT DISCARDED, PASSED AWAY AND LESS THAN HUMAN.

HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THE DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE SENSE OF BEING DISCARDED AND DEMEANED, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT YOU WERE TARGETED BECAUSE OF YOUR RACE, YOUR ETHNICITY, AND THE FACT THAT A TERRORIST EVENT YOU HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH.

I MEAN, YOU CAME TO THIS COUNTRY SEEKING REFUGE AND A BETTER LIFE AND YOU WERE ALMOST KILLED FOR THAT, HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THAT?

AFTER THIS INCIDENT I ASKED MY — KEPT MYSELF IN THE HOUSE, DIDN’T FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING OUTSIDE, SO MUCH TRAUMA, ANXIETY, FEAR OF BEING SHOT AGAIN, FEAR OF GETTING KILLED AGAIN, IT REALLY PARALYZED ME.

BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT I NEED TO GO OUT AND FACE MY FEAR HEAD ON AND GET BACK TO A NORMAL LIFE.

I REMEMBER I FORGIVE MY ATTACKER AFTER I GOT MY LIFE BACK.

MY FAITH AND UPBRINGING INSPIRED ME TO DO THAT.

I FOCUSED ON REBUILDING MY LIFE SLOWLY GETTING INTO RESTAURANT WORKING AS A WAITER.

IT HELPED ME TO OVERCOME MY FEAR OF PEOPLE AS I STARTED MEETING PEOPLE IN THE RESTAURANT AND ALSO STARTED GOING TO SCHOOL AND AT THE TIME MANY KIND AND CARING AMERICANS CAME FORWARD, LIKE A DOCTOR WHO TREATED ME, HE WAS A CHRISTIAN DOCTOR, HE DIDN’T ASK FOR ANY UP FRONT PAYMENT, HE BEGAN TO TREATMENT ME AND THEN A MUSLIM MAN FROM THE LOCAL MOSQUE GAVE ME SCHOLARSHIP AND ONE GAVE ME HIS EXTRA CAR.

SO, YES.

ONE AMERICAN TRIED TO KILL ME BUT AFTER THAT MANY KIND AND LOVING AND CARING AMERICANS CAME FORWARD TO HELP REDO MY LIFE.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE, THE MAN WHO SHOT YOU, MARK STRAWMAN ALSO KILLED TWO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE SAME TIME SPAN IN WHICH HE ATTACKED YOU.

HE MADE IT CLEAR THIS WAS REVENGE FOR 9/11.

HE DIDN’T KNOW YOU.

HE DIDN’T KNOW THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT HE ATTACKED AS WELL.

SO, HOW DID YOU PROCESS ALL THAT?

LIKE, HOW DID YOU PROCESS THAT HE TRIED TO KILL YOU, NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING YOU HAD DONE BUT BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU ARE, HOW DID YOU THINK THAT THROUGH?

WELL, BEFORE 9/11 I WAS TOTALLY UNKNOWN TO MY ATTACKER BUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER I WAS LABELLED AS A THREAT, A TERRORIST, EXTREMIST LIVING IN THE SOCIETY, BECAUSE OF THE RACE AND ISLAMIC FAITH.

AFTER MARK WAS ARRESTED HE EXACTLY SAY THAT REPEATEDLY WATCHING THE SAME FOOT FOOTAGE OF THE TWIN TOWERS BEING HIT BY PLANES, LISTENING TO THE LEADERS AND NEWS COMMENTATORS, I SNAPPED.

I TOOK UP ARMS TO KILL SOME MUSLIMS WHO DID THIS HEINOUS CRIME TO OUR COUNTRY.

AND AFTER HIS ARREST HE ALSO SAID THAT WHAT HE DID MOST AMERICANS WANTED TO DO THE SAME, THEY JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE GUTS AND HE QUIETLY WAS A TRUE AMERICAN, PATRIOT.

WHAT I CONSIDERED EVERYTHING, THE ENVIRONMENT AFTER THE EVENT, I REALIZED HE WAS A VICTIM OF ISLAMICPHOBIA.

HE HAD NEVER MET A MUSLIM AND HAD NOT KNOWN ABOUT ISLAM BUT SINCE HE WAS FIXATED TO THE NEWS AGAIN AND AGAIN HE SNAPPED.

SO PURELY IT MOTIVATED HIM.

HIS DESTRUCTIVE ANGER AND IGNORANCE AND FEAR OF MUSLIM LED HIM TO DO THIS HEINOUS CRIME AND SO NOW BY EXECUTING HIM THE ISLAMICPHOBIA, ANTI-MUSLIM SENTIMENT, AND THE FEAR AND ALL THE INTOLERANCE IN OUR SOCIETY WOULDN’T GO WITH ME AND ALL THE PAIN AND SUFFERING, I AND OTHER VICTIMS AND LOVED ONES WENT THROUGH, WILL NOT BE ERASED.

BUT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TURN THIS NEGATIVE INSTANCE INTO SOMETHING POSITIVE.

YOU FAMOUSLY BEGAN A CAMPAIGN TO SPARE THE LIFE OF YOUR ATTACKER. HOW DID THAT START?

WELL I LEARNED ABOUT THE POWER, BEAUTY AND BENEFIT OF FORGIVENESS AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, WAS FROM MY PARENTS AND MY ISLAMIC FAITH.

AND FOR GIVING MY ATTACKER WAS A MULTIPLE-STEP PROCESS.

BECAUSE WHEN WE ARE HURT WE ARE NOT LIKELY TO RESPOND WITH MERCY AND UNDERSTANDING.

OUR INITIAL INSTINCT IS TO RECOIL, YOU KNOW, AND SELF-PROTECT.

SO ONCE I GOT MY LIFE BACK I THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT MY PARENTS TAUGHT ME.

AND I REALIZED BY EXECUTING HIM WE WERE SIMPLY LOSING HUMAN LIFE WITHOUT DEALING WITH THE ROOT CAUSE.

I BEGAN TO SEE HIM AS A HUMAN BEING LIKE ME, NOT JUST AS A KILLER.

I SAW HIM AS TOO I SUFFERED TERRIBLY BUT I DID NOT SEE VALUE IN HIM SUFFERING AS WELL.

AND I REMEMBER WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE ON THE BRINK THE DEATH, BEGGING TO GOD FOR A SECOND CHANCE.

I LEARNED ABOUT THE VERSE IN THE HOLY KORAN CHAPTER 5, VERSE 32 WHERE IT SAYS THAT SAVING A LIFE IS LIKE SAVING THE ENTIRE MAN KIND AND TAKING A LIFE IS LIKE TAKING THE LIFE OF ENTIRE MANKIND.

AND I WAS EXTREMELY CONVINCED I NEEDED TO GO THE EXTRA MILE TO SAVE THE LIFE OF THE MAN.

DID YOUR ATTACKER KNOW YOU WERE FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE?

WHEN WE LAUNCHED OUR GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE LIFE OF MY ATTACKER HE HEARD FROM HIS LAWYER THAT’S ONE OF HIS VICTIMS WAS RUNNING A CAMPAIGN TO SAVE HIS LIFE.

AND HE TOLD HIS LAWYER, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT, I NEVER SAID SORRY, I NEVER APOLOGIZED AND DESTROYED THEIR LIVES, ESPECIALLY HIS LIFE, AND NOW HE FORGAVE ME AND IS RUNNING A CAMPAIGN TO SAVE MY LIFE, HE WAS RELEASED TO TEARS, HE SAID I DON’T DESERVE THAT, I’M SOMEONE UNFORGIVABLE.

HE WROTE A LETTER TO ME FROM DEATH ROW AND IN ONE PARAGRAPH THIS IS WHAT HE SAID, THAT MY STEPFATHER TAUGHT ME SOME LESSONS THAT I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEARNED.

IT HAS TAKEN ME TOO LONG TO UNLEARN SOME OF THEM.

AND I’M STILL WORKING ON SOME OF THEM.

I DON’T KNOW WHO YOUR PARENTS WERE BUT IT IS OBVIOUS THEY ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE TO LEAD YOU TO ACT THIS WAY TO SOMEONE YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO HATE.

THE ENTIRE MUSLIM COMMUNITY CONDEMN THEM AND HE CALLED ME BROTHER.

AND I NEVER IMAGINED THIS PERSON WOULD CALL ME ONE DAY, BROTHER, AND HE WOULD LOVE ME. SO WHEN HE LEARNED ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGN HE WENT TO TREMENDOUS TRANSFORMATION AND TALKED ABOUT WORLD PEACE, MERCY, JUSTICE, PEACE, HATE CRIMES AND HOW HE WAS WRONG, WHAT WENT WRONG IN HIS LIFE, AND HOW HE ENDED UP KILLING PEOPLE AND FINDING HIMSELF IN THE WORSE POSSIBLE PLACE ON EARTH, DEATH ROW.

I — I THINK THIS STORY IS WELL-KNOWN ENOUGH NOW THAT I CAN SHARE THAT YOU DID NOT SUCCEED IN YOUR QUEST TO SPARE HIS LIFE.

WELL, IT’S TRUE, WE DID NOT SUCCEED, IN THE END LOVE WON.

HE WAS IN PEACE BEFORE HE WAS EXECUTED.

HE FOUND JESUS CHRIST, IN HIS HEART, AND HUMANITY AND URGED ME TO CONTINUE HUMAN RIGHTS WORK TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE HIM AND THOSE STRUGGLING WITH PAIN, WITH ANGER, WITH TRAUMA.

YOU KNOW, AS WE ARE SPEAKING NOW THE NEW INFORMATION, THE FBI REPORTS ANNUALLY ON HATE CRIMES, YOU ARE UNDERSTOOD AS A VICTIM OF A HATE CRIME.

YOU WERE ATTACKED, NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING PERSONALLY YOU DID OR ANY INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION BUT BECAUSE OF YOUR — BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU ARE.

AND AS WE ARE SPEAKING NOW, THE FBI HAS REPORTED HATE CRIMES IN THE UNITED STATES ARE AT THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL IN MORE THAN TEN YEARS.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

HATE CRIME, YOU KNOW ROSE AFTER 9/11 AND CAME BACK IN 2008 AND 2012 DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF PRESIDENT OBAMA AND CAME BACK IN 2010 AND 2020 BECAUSE HATE BECAME NORMALIZED.

MISINFORMATION.

IN OUR DAILY LIVES, IN A ENVIRONMENT WE’RE DESENSITIZED THERE’S LACK OF EMPATHY AS WELL.

DON’T WANT TO TAKE TIME TO LEARN ABOUT THE OTHER, WE’RE AFRAID OF THE OTHER, INSTEAD OF TAKING TIME TO GET TO KNOW THEM.

THERE’S HUGE DISCONNECT IN OUR SOCIETY, LACK OF EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING AND SAME TIME SOME LEADERS ARE ADVANCING YOU KNOW, THEY’RE GAINING POLITICALLY AND PERSONALLY BY SPREADING MISINFORMATION.

LIES.

AND TOLERANCE AND FEAR.

SO I’D LIKE TO ASK YOU WHAT STEPS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE TAKE. ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE NOT UNDER GONE AN EXPERIENCE AS REMARKABLE AS YOURS.

WHAT IS YOUR ARGUMENT WHY THEY SHOULD REACH OUT THE WAY YOU HAVE.

THE FIRST THING WE ALL SHOULD DO IS KEEP THE DOOR, WINDOW OPEN FOR MORE DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION.

I’D LOVE TO GIVE A QUICK EXAMPLE.

MORE RECENTLY I WAS INVITED TO A ANTI-ISLAMIC GROUP FOR A ONE-HOUR CONVERSATION.

THAT LASTED ABOUT FIVE.

AND DURING THE FIVE-HOUR CONVERSATION, SOME TIMES HONESTLY BOILED MY BLOOD.

I WAS EXTREMELY DISRESPECTED.

I WAS DEMONIZED.

YOU KNOW.

I WAS INSULTED.

BUT WANTED TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE I WANTED TO HEAR FROM HIM WHY HE HATES MUSLIMS SO MUCH AND WHY HE FORMED THIS ARMED HATE GROUP AGAINST ISLAM.

IT HELPED.

HE OPENED UP.

AS I SAID, I SHARED A LOT OF FACTS AND INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM AND MUSLIM.

AND THIS CONVERSATION HELPED HIM LEARN SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT HE NEVER BEFORE LEARNED.

SO I TELL PEOPLE, PLEASE FIND WAYS TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE UNLIKE YOU AND TRY TO TAKE TIME TO LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER.

THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED IN MY CASE.

MY CASE AS WELL, WHEN MY ATTACKER DID NOT KNOW ME, HE HATED ME BUT WHEN HE LEARNED ABOUT ME AND EDUCATED HIMSELF ABOUT MUSLIMS AND ISLAMS, HE CALLED ME BROTHER AND SAID HE LOVED ME.

WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US AND SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US.

IT’S MY GREAT PLEASURE AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING MY STORY.