--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were told that we were attacked on…" description: "\"We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the terrorists hate our freedoms and democracy ... not for the real reason: because the Arab Muslims..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/cindy-sheehan-4928_arab_we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9_776532.jpg" --- # We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the… ![“We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the terrorists hate our freedoms and democracy ... not for the real reason: because the Arab Muslims who attacked us hate our Middle Eastern foreign policy.” quote by Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/cindy-sheehan-4928_arab_we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9_776532.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/cindy-sheehan-4928_arab_we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9_776532.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/cindy-sheehan-4928_arab_we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9_776532.jpg) > “We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the terrorists hate our freedoms and democracy ... not for the real reason: because the Arab Muslims who attacked us hate our Middle Eastern foreign policy.” [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that the 9/11 attacks were motivated by U.S. foreign policy, not merely hatred of freedom. **In simple terms:** The real cause was political, not just ideological hatred. Key Takeaway Question official narratives. Themes politics war media truth Mood skeptical critical Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy analysis - media critique - historical study Key Concepts geopolitics causality public perception Questions to Reflect On - How do we verify true motives? - What role does propaganda play? A Different Perspective Oversimplifies complex motives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Foreign policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-policy/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedoms/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Middle eastern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-eastern/) [Muslims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muslims/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Terrorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorists/) ## Related quotes > [If it were really the case that terrorists "hate us for our freedoms," we'd be getting more popular with Al Qaeda every month.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-sanchez/if-it-were-really-the-case-that-terrorists-hate-us-for-our-freedoms/) [Julian Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-sanchez/) > [“George W. Bush gave this response to the question of ‘Why do they hate us?’: ‘…They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/george-w-bush-gave-this-response-to-the-question-of-why-do-they-hate/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [“They don't hate us because of our freedoms. We have no freedoms because they hate us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alifa-rifatt/they-don-t-hate-us-because-of-our-freedoms-we-have-no-freedoms/) Alifa Rifatt > [Terrorists hate Americans. Indians hate each other. A terrorist will blow up an airport. Indians like to work at the airport. That would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-peters/terrorists-hate-americans-indians-hate-each-other-a-terrorist-will/) [Russell Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-peters/) > [“Without ever exactly putting his mind to it, he's come to believe that loss is the standard trajectory. Something new appears in the world-a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-fountain/without-ever-exactly-putting-his-mind-to-it-he-s-come-to-believe-that-2/) [Ben Fountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-fountain/) > [Not to mention the fact that of course terrorists hate freedom. I think they do hate. But believe me, I don't think they sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/not-to-mention-the-fact-that-of-course-terrorists-hate-freedom-i/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [This is why the terrorists hate us. And it's not the glitter and it's not the pomp and circumstance. We've got black and white,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-carolla/this-is-why-the-terrorists-hate-us-and-it-s-not-the-glitter-and-it-s/) [Adam Carolla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-carolla/) > [Terrorism drives out all normal human activity before it, defining life in its own sick terms, if it can. So, a baseball game on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-boswell/terrorism-drives-out-all-normal-human-activity-before-it-defining/) [Thomas Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-boswell/) > [“Our president may lie, but he will lie effectively and spectacularly, with all the epic stagecraft and lighting and special effects available to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/our-president-may-lie-but-he-will-lie-effectively-and-spectacularly/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [“A man has two reasons for doing something; a good reason and the real reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-morgan-2/a-man-has-two-reasons-for-doing-something-a-good-reason-and-the-real/) J.P. Morgan > [“Well me the real reason. I mean, haven't we been friends long enough that I deserve the truth?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/well-me-the-real-reason-i-mean-haven-t-we-been-friends-long-enough/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) > [“Real Reason: There are things you do because they feel right & they may make no sense & they may make no money &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/real-reason-there-are-things-you-do-because-they-feel-right-they-may/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [There are two reasons why anybody buys anything. The real reason, and the reason they give you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-are-two-reasons-why-anybody-buys-anything-the-real-reason-and/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I never really saw my dad as entertained as when he was just completely blown away by somebody on the television screen or at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-basinger/i-never-really-saw-my-dad-as-entertained-as-when-he-was-just/) [Kim Basinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-basinger/) > [“Under 'Reasons for Leaving Last Job', never give the real reason, unless it's money or ambition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/under-reasons-for-leaving-last-job-never-give-the-real-reason-unless/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) ## More by Cindy Sheehan > [We're not going to cure terrorism and spread peace and goodwill in the Middle East by killing innocent people, or I'm not even saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-re-not-going-to-cure-terrorism-and-spread-peace-and-goodwill-in/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [“Casey was a faithful Christian filled with the spirit of the Christ; George is a hypocrite who says he is a Christian but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/casey-was-a-faithful-christian-filled-with-the-spirit-of-the-christ/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I feel like I gave my son to this country in an illegal and immoral war. I'll never get him back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-feel-like-i-gave-my-son-to-this-country-in-an-illegal-and-immoral/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [Let's push the Pentagon off the fiscal cliff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/let-s-push-the-pentagon-off-the-fiscal-cliff/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [If the people of America do not rise up, take ownership of our country, we're going to lose it forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/if-the-people-of-america-do-not-rise-up-take-ownership-of-our-country/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I think some of the people on the Left... were extremely jealous of me getting what they thought was all of the attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-think-some-of-the-people-on-the-left-were-extremely-jealous-of-me/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [Loyalty to the true, core values and roots of democracy is what makes a true patriot, not loyalty to a symbol of the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/loyalty-to-the-true-core-values-and-roots-of-democracy-is-what-makes/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [58% of the American public are with us. We're preaching to the choir, but the choir's not singing, if all of the 58% started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/58-of-the-american-public-are-with-us-we-re-preaching-to-the-choir/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [Everything I say comes from my heart - and it's the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/everything-i-say-comes-from-my-heart-and-it-s-the-truth/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [So what really gets me is these chickenhawks, who sent our kids to die, without ever serving in a war themselves. They don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/so-what-really-gets-me-is-these-chickenhawks-who-sent-our-kids-to-die/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I was told my son was killed in the war on terror. He was killed by George Bush's war of terror on the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-was-told-my-son-was-killed-in-the-war-on-terror-he-was-killed-by/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I can't speak for the other people whose children have died, but I can speak for my family and the other members of Gold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-can-t-speak-for-the-other-people-whose-children-have-died-but-i-can/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [It's up to us, the people, to break immoral laws, and resist. As soon as the leaders of a country lie to you, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/it-s-up-to-us-the-people-to-break-immoral-laws-and-resist-as-soon-as/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [People demonize me; people idolize me; everything I say and do has been scrutinized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/people-demonize-me-people-idolize-me-everything-i-say-and-do-has-been/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I love my country. But how many more of our loved ones need to die in this senseless war?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-love-my-country-but-how-many-more-of-our-loved-ones-need-to-die-in/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) [Explore all 105 Cindy Sheehan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) ## More Arab quotes > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [Preemptive war is what Israel did in '67 with Arab armies on its borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/preemptive-war-is-what-israel-did-in-67-with-arab-armies-on-its/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [The majority of Arab people would side with Russia and China, not with the West. And they'd throw their 'elites' groomed in and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-majority-of-arab-people-would-side-with-russia-and-china-not-with/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [“For the Arab, the past does not merely live. The past defines the present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-bunn/for-the-arab-the-past-does-not-merely-live-the-past-defines-the/) [Davis Bunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davis-bunn/) > [Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [The twin causes Bin Laden invokes are Islam and Arab self-determination, and armies rise to serve him. No need to convert or dogmatize. Believers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/the-twin-causes-bin-laden-invokes-are-islam-and-arab-self/) [Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/) > [Arab youth are taught to wonder, 'Since the Holocaust was a European affair, why are the Palestinians being forced to pay for the creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-sr/arab-youth-are-taught-to-wonder-since-the-holocaust-was-a-european/) [Edgar Bronfman, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-sr/) > [The majority of Arab people see the United States and Israel (definitely not Iran or Syria) as the greatest danger to the world. Could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/the-majority-of-arab-people-see-the-united-states-and-israel/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [I'm called a terrorist in the Arab media still today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yitzhak-shamir/i-m-called-a-terrorist-in-the-arab-media-still-today/) [Yitzhak Shamir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yitzhak-shamir/) > [I have been to Burj-Al-Arab. And I visit Dubai quite often, I really like the place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-dhupia/i-have-been-to-burj-al-arab-and-i-visit-dubai-quite-often-i-really/) [Neha Dhupia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-dhupia/) > [History may someday record that the Arab awakening that began with the Arab revolt of 1916 against the Ottomans ended about a century later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/history-may-someday-record-that-the-arab-awakening-that-began-with/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [None of us is certain about the outcome of the Arab Spring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/none-of-us-is-certain-about-the-outcome-of-the-arab-spring/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [As you know with the Arab Spring, there were no dividends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najib-razak/as-you-know-with-the-arab-spring-there-were-no-dividends/) [Najib Razak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najib-razak/) > [ \[Arab peoples\] are stuck back thousands of years and they think they're going to get out with a TV set. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/arab-peoples-are-stuck-back-thousands-of-years-and-they-think-they-re/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [I was one of the first people in the Palestinian world, in the late 1970s, to say that there is no military option, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/i-was-one-of-the-first-people-in-the-palestinian-world-in-the-late/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) [Browse all 310 Arab quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arab/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the terrorists hate our freedoms and democracy ... not for the real reason: because the Arab Muslims who attacked us hate our Middle Eastern foreign policy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cindy Sheehan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9-11-because-the-terrorists/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arab" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9-11-because-the-terrorists/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/cindy-sheehan-4928_arab_we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9_776532.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/cindy-sheehan-4928_arab_we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9_776532.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/cindy-sheehan-4928_arab_we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9_776532.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the terrorists hate our freedoms and democracy ... not…” — Cindy Sheehan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cindy Sheehan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We were told that we were...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9-11-because-the-terrorists/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-were-told-that-we-were-attacked-on-9-11-because-the-terrorists/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```