September 11, one of the largest and most heinous terrorist attacks in history, claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people. These were four coordinated terrorist attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda, an Islamist terrorist group, in New York and Washington DC. The four targets were the two World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon and the White House. Three of the four attacks were successful. The one headed to the White House was foiled by passengers, who took the plane again and crash-landed it in a field. The reasons behind this terrorist act have been attributed to several different reasons, many of which are direct actions carried out by the United States and the West. The primary reason for the September 11 attacks dates back to the time of Muhammad, the founder of Islam and the “messenger of God,” as well as Islam itself. Much of Islamic history has been obscured by a veil of fear and misunderstanding. This was due to the fear of Islamic terrorists before and especially after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The history of Islam begins with the birth of Muhammad, born in the holy city of Mecca, at a time when warring tribes constantly competed for scarce water sources. Muhammad received the Quran from the angel Gabriel, and his most radical proclamation from God was that there was only one God. This meant that since there was only one God, there could only be one people. Over time, Muhammad and his followers took control of Mecca and much of the Arabian Peninsula. In the Quran, Muhammad was given the 5 pillars of Islam, which explain the five concepts that a good Muslim must follow. The first pillar, the profession of faith, is the main pillar used by radicals...... middle of paper ...... and why 9/11 happened. September 11, 2001 was one of the most important. and the most heinous act of terror to ever occur in modern history. It was adopted by the radical Islamist group Al-Qaeda, with the aim of eliminating Western influence from the Middle East. This has backfired on al-Qaeda, as the United States now has several times more military bases and troops in the Middle East than it did before the 9/11 attacks. The United States has also increased its foreign aid to Israel. The problem is that with our increased military presence in the Middle East, we are radicalizing more and more Muslims due to civilian casualties all over the Middle East. The United States has created more terrorists in the Middle East than there were before 9/11. The September 11 attacks are a direct consequence of the Western and American presence in the Middle East. This is why 9/11 happened.