Naked Emperors

Do you remember where you were and what you thought on 11 September 2001? I can remember the first rumour to circulate was that a Japanese terrorist group had carried out this attack to get revenge for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nobody knew who had done this. Everybody was shocked. Shock and awe.

Then in a matter of two or three days, the White House announced: We've found out who did it. And the list of the nineteen Arabs was released. And Usama bin Laden's photo flashed around the globe. Repeatedly.

Then I remember reading a little article, three weeks later, in the newspaper, which said that Usama bin Laden announced that this was not his work. When people close to me attacked me for being a Muslim, saying, Look what they did, look what you Muslims did, I answered: I still don't know who did this. Nobody had claimed responsibility.

Then the videos of Usama bin Laden claiming responsibility started emerging. I remember many people laughed at the first one, saying he looked more like Al Pacino than bin Laden. Then people started to forget. To forget that bin Laden had denied responsibility. To forget that evidence was promised, but never appeared. To forget that when a crime is perpetrated, we normally allow a criminal investigation to take place, we normally allow forensic scientists to take analyses at the site of the crime, we normally gather evidence, real evidence, before announcing to the media who has emerged as a suspect.

What were your thoughts? Do you remember the moment they pulled the wool over your eyes, and you started to believe their lies?

The United States government shipped the evidence -- the molten steel of the skyscrapers -- to China. They removed the forensic evidence from the scene of the crime. Before it could be analysed for explosives. Have you ever wondered why? Yes, the emperor's naked, brothers and sisters. Wake up!