"Never Forget" Must Mean Confronting Radical Islamist Evil, Not Just Memorializing Victims
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "What We Must ‘Never Forget’ 25 Years After 9/11 | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." September 11, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author argues that 25 years after 9/11, simply remembering the victims with memorials isn't enough—we also need to remember and fight against the extremist ideology that caused the attacks. He claims this same dangerous ideology is now spreading in American politics and culture, and that Charlie Kirk's murder shows this evil can come from within, not just from foreign terrorists.
Conclusion
Twenty-five years after 9/11, America must honor 'Never Forget' not merely through memorials to the victims, but by recognizing, confronting, and actively combating the radical Islamist ideology that motivated the attacks—an ideology the author claims is now resurging in American politics and culture.
Premises
- America has built monuments and holds memorials for 9/11 victims, which are right and honorable, but this alone does not fulfill the 'Never Forget' pledge.
- Collective ability to recognize and confront the evil ideology behind 9/11 has faded, as evidenced by widespread conspiracy theories (a 2023 YouGov survey found 1 in 5 Americans believe the government was involved) rather than knowledge of figures like Sayyid Qutb.
- A watered-down but similarly dangerous version of the extremist ideology behind 9/11 is spreading through American politics and culture, evidenced by Sharia law accommodations, 'Death to America' chants, campus support for Hamas, a Senate candidate campaigning with someone who said America 'deserved' 9/11, and NYC's mayor having ties to a 1993 WTC bombing coconspirator.
- The murder of Charlie Kirk reflects the same underlying evil and desire to destroy American principles as the 9/11 attacks, showing this evil can arise domestically, not just from foreign terrorists.
- The 9/11 terrorists attacked core civilizational principles (individual liberty, religious freedom, freedom of expression, self-government) rooted in Christian teachings, not merely buildings or policies.
- Therefore, true remembrance requires a nation confident enough to distinguish good from evil and committed to defending these principles, not just mourning the dead.
Assumptions
- The various contemporary phenomena cited (Sharia accommodations, campus protests, political candidates, NYC's mayor) are meaningfully connected to or represent a continuation of the same ideology that motivated 9/11 attackers.
- Charlie Kirk's murder and the 9/11 attacks stem from the same 'underlying evil,' despite different perpetrators, motives, and contexts.
- American civilization's core principles are specifically rooted in Christian teachings.
- Recognizing 'evil' as a category and confronting it is an appropriate and effective framework for addressing complex political and ideological threats.
- The examples cited represent a genuine ideological trend rather than isolated incidents or mischaracterizations.
- Distinguishing 'good from evil' with confidence is achievable and desirable in addressing these complex sociopolitical issues.