Muslim Victims of the 9/11 Terroist Attack

National 9-11 Memorial
The National 9-11 Memorial in New York City.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

By
Huda
Islam Expert
  • M.Ed., Loyola University–Maryland
  • B.S., Child Development, Oregon State University
Huda is an educator, school administrator, and author who has more than two decades of experience researching and writing about Islam online.
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Huda
Updated June 25, 2019

Among the many victims of 9/11 were several dozen innocent Muslims, ranging in age from their late 60s to a couple’s unborn child. Many were stockbrokers or restaurant workers, working in the Twin Towers to earn a living to care for their families, and their numbers included converts and immigrants from over a dozen different countries and the U.S. Some were heroes, including an NYPD cadet and a Marriott hotel worker who sacrificed their lives attempting to rescue others. The Muslim victims were parents to more than 30 children who were left without one or both of their parents.

Experience of Victims' Families

For the families of these victims, grief and sorrow were compounded by incredulity that the murder of their loved ones could in any way be justified by religious or political motives. Contrary to stereotypes, the majority of Muslims are peace-loving people who denounce such evil. However, the victims' families have since had to suffer from the ignorance and bias of their fellow Americans and, in contrast to the families of victims of other faiths, the surviving relatives of the Muslim victims were treated with suspicion by investigators.

In some cases, family members faced interrogations based on initial suspicions that their Muslim relatives were not victims but were among the terrorists involved in the hijackings. For example, the mother and other family members of American Airlines flight #11 passenger Rahma Salie ​were barred from traveling to her memorial service. Her mother, Haleema, said, "I would like everyone to know that she was a Muslim, she is a Muslim and we are victims too, of this tragic incident.”

How the List Was Compiled

In the years since it became clear that the list needed updating as official victim lists continued to be revised. This newly updated list is based upon a number of sources, including early news reports, the Newsday victims database, and the Islamic Circle of North America, as well as more recent victim lists, such as those published at Legacy.com, CNN, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The list includes names, ages, and their World Trade Center employer or the flight they were on. When available, links to tribute pages and photos are provided, to share personal stories.

Inna li lahi wa inna li layhi raja’un. From God, we come, and to Him is our return.

List of Victims