Business Owner Remembers Hate Following Sept. 11

Nansi Najim and her father opened their Lebanese restaurant in Columbia on Sept. 8, 2001. 

Three days later, terrorists crashed two airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York, one into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and caused another to crash in a field in Western Pennsylvania.

Everything changed.

"We got a lot of hate phone calls," Najim said. "People were saying things like, 'We're going to blow you up like your people blew us up.'"

People stole things from the family's business, including the American flag that was flying in front of the restaurant on St. Andrews Road.  

Najim and her younger brother had passed out flyers before the opening of the restaurant — named after her father, Elias.

Underneath Elie's, the flyers displayed writing in Arabic, the official language of Lebanon. Najim said she thinks the Arabic writing sparked a lot of the hateful phone calls. People associated her family with the Islamic extremists who attacked the United States just because Lebanon is an Arab-speaking Middle Eastern country. 

Najim's family is Christian, along with 39 percent of the population in Lebanon. An image of Mary hangs on a bulletin board near the cash register. 

"I wear a cross necklace every day," Najim said. "And it's not for you or anyone who comes into the restaurant. I'm a Christian every day."

"But some of our best friends are Muslims," she said. 

It's part of the Lebanese culture to be hospitable and share food around the table, Najim said. Her family tries to bring that atmosphere to their restaurant. 

"Walking into our restaurant is like walking into our home. This is family. We want you to feel comfortable whatever race or religion you are."

"I'm American"

The civil war in Lebanon forced Najim's family to flee to the United States in 1977. Najim was only two years old.

"This is my home. I'm American," Najim said. "I grew up here. This is where I went to school." 

When the news of the attacks broke on Sept. 11, Najim was just as shocked as many Americans were that day. 

She remembers waking up to her mom and her neighbors screaming from the living room, she said. 

"I remember thinking, 'What kind of movie are they watching?'" 

"Us, as being the most powerful country...," Najim said. "I just couldn't believe it would happen to us." 

Almost 10 years later, Najim and her father are preparing this week for a milestone: the 10-year anniversary of their restaurant. But that milestone is overshadowed by the tragedy that resulted in hatred and the loss of lives. 

Najim said she still worries about the tension the attacks created in the world. 

"I really fear this anniversary," Najim said. "Forget my anniversary of this restaurant. I hope and pray nothing is going to happen." 

Najim and her father will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their restaurant, but they're pushing the celebration to the end of the month. 

They'll have a special event at their restaurant with belly dancers for entertainment and typical Lebanese dishes — a display of their Arab culture, something people are more receptive to now, Najim said.

It took about a year after Elie's opened for the hateful phone calls and comments to stop. The events of Sept. 11 opened up a discussion about the Middle East, Najim said.

Now, more customers come into the restaurant with some understanding of her home country.

"It amazes me that we have a lot of people who do know [about Lebanon]," Najim said, "who are not ignorant."