America must never forget

For nearly 2½ years, starting in March 1999, I worked on the 72nd floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower. It was a place filled with cherished memories. Thirty-three years ago, I ­proposed to my wife on the observation deck of the south tower. After work, I often returned there to sit in silence, gaze over New York City, and reflect. It was one of my favorite places in the world.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was asleep on a commuter bus traveling north on FDR Drive. Around 8:50 a.m., just as we emerged from the Battery Tunnel, a woman suddenly began shouting. I looked up and saw an orange blaze engulfing the upper floors of the north tower. I immediately called my brother and told him to turn on the television. As he watched from home and I stared out the bus window in disbelief, a large plane slammed into the south tower. In that instant, any hope that the first strike had been an accident vanished. America was under attack, and for the first time in my life, I saw fear in the eyes of New Yorkers. We’re known for our edge, grit, and confidence, but on that day, people ran through the Financial District, streamed toward the Brooklyn Bridge, and even walked down the FDR in stunned silence. In the 25 years since that terrible day, the city has endured, but it has never been the same.

For my family, however, Sept. 11 carries another layer of profound meaning. On that date in 1973, Gen. Augusto Pinochet overthrew the Marxist government of Salvador Allende in Chile, an event my parents, along with most Chileans, believe saved their lives and the nation’s future. I was a boy during the time we endured severe inflation, food shortages, property confiscation, rising crime, and widespread societal chaos during Allende’s presidency. Because my parents resisted the communist takeover, revolutionary guerrillas marked them for death. They remain convinced that without the military’s intervention, Chile would have become a communist dictatorship like Cuba. But Pinochet liberated Chile and saved millions of lives. Thus, Sept. 11 evokes powerful emotions for Chileans. For my family, it marks the day we escaped death and Chile avoided the evils of communism.

Sept. 11, 1683, also has special significance because of its historical connection with Sept. 11, 2001. On that date, the Ottoman advance into Europe was halted at the Battle of Vienna. Following the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman Empire expanded steadily into southeastern and central Europe through military conquest, bringing vast territories under its rule. Vienna represented the gateway to the heart of Europe, and its capture would likely have opened the door to further Islamic expansion across the continent, fundamentally altering Europe’s religious, cultural, and political landscape. Instead, the allied Christian forces broke the siege and turned back the Ottoman advance, marking a decisive moment in European history.

The connection between these three dates has always struck me. Each Sept. 11 marks a civilizational crisis and a decisive turning point. The Battle of Vienna reminds us that Europe’s struggle against Islamic empires stretches back centuries. The fall of Allende’s government reminds us that the threat of Marxist totalitarianism never disappears. Its advocates never abandon their aim of enslaving society to the state. Twenty-five years after 9/11, the West must confront the challenges posed by the ongoing growth of Islamism and Marxism. It must secure its borders, uphold the rule of law, encourage genuine civic integration, and preserve the cultural and Christian foundations upon which its freedoms were built. Sadly, with the election of Zohran Mamdani, New Yorkers appear to have lost sight of the lessons 9/11 should have taught us.

If I were without hope, I would despair. As a Christian, however, my confidence rests not in political leaders or military victories, but in Christ. Scripture reminds us that He is reconciling all things to Himself (Colossians 1:20) and must reign until all His enemies are beneath His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). History is neither random nor hopeless. God is accomplishing His redemptive purposes through His people and the faithful proclamation of the gospel. Therefore, I have hope, for the power of redemption will overcome the power of sin in time and in history.

Many Muslims who seek to spread Islam around the world remember Sept. 11, 1683. Just as my family remembers Sept. 11, 1973, Americans must never forget Sept. 11, 2001.