Post 9/11, Muslim Americans still fighting bias

Muslim Americans who grew up under the shadow of 9/11 have faced hostility and surveillance, mistrust and suspicion. In the 20 years since the terrorist attacks, they've also dealt with questions about their Muslim faith and doubts over their Americanness. But they've also found ways to fight back against bias. That aftermath has motivated people like Shukri Olow to do what she is doing — run for office. Born in Somalia, Olow fled the civil war with her family and lived in refugee camps in Kenya for years before coming to the United States when she was 10. Her experiences from that time also helped form her identity. In the Kensington neighbourhood in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Shahana Hanif recalls being called a terrorist while walking down the street. It was 2001, mere weeks after the twin towers at the World Trade Center fell, Shahana Hanif and her younger sister were walking to the local mosque from their Brooklyn home. Unsure, afraid, the girls ran. United States Marine veteran Mansoor Shams, who served from 2000-2004, wonders how the harassment he received while in the military impacted his life. He believes the kind of bias he experienced back then still exists.