WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 — The stories of local Muslim Americans, in their own words

By K.D. Norris

Hamza Khan, one of several local Muslim American young persons who WKTV interviewed as it prepared for its series of video interviews “WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later”, is in many ways an archetypal American success story in the making.

His family is of Pakistani heritage, but he was born in West Michigan after his parents immigrated more than 20 years ago. He was raised and attended high school locally and is currently a Michigan State University student, studying neuroscience.

And, as we learned when he agreed to host a short documentary based on the series of WKTV Voices interviews, he is poised to be a success in his chosen education/career field but also possesses a modern youth’s sense of humor.

When, during the filming of his documentary segments, a WKTV staff member commented that he was “very good” on camera — his quick retort was … “Well, if this neuroscience thing does not work out.”

During the past several months, preparing for the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America, WKTV has been interviewing local Muslim Americans — from university professors, to local Islamic religious leaders, to immigrant and American-born citizens, including young people such as Khan.

WKTV’s goal was to let them tell their own stories.

This short documentary is a synthesis of those interviews.

For the complete WKTV Voices: 9/11 at 20 interviews, visit WKTVvideos on YouTube.

WKTV Journal’s “Voices: 9/11 at 20 — Our Islamic neighbors 20 years later” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). Online/print stories are available by searching “9/11 at 20” on WKTVJournal.org.