Essay #2
Humanities 4501: 9/11 Literature and Film
Introduction
There are different portrayals of Mohamed Atta, one of the terrorists who participated in the 9/11 attacks, in the story “The Last Days of Muhammad Atta,” written by Martin Amis, and the film The Hamburg Cell, directed by Antonia Bird. This paper examines both the story and the film and provides a comprehensive comparison of their portrayals of Mohamed Atta. It is clear that there are significant differences and similarities between how the story and the film portray Atta. In particular, this paper compares how the two narratives portray Atta’s feelings towards Islam and toward the United States.
In the story “The Last Days of Muhammad Atta,” Martin Amis tells the story from Atta’s point of view in an effort to put the reader in the mind of Mohamed Atta. This is very important, as it takes the reader through the thought process of the man who was one of the leaders of the largest terrorist attack on American soil. The story is set on the morning of September 11, 2001. In this story, Atta has troubles on the morning of the attack. He suffers from a severe headache, as well as, nausea. The splitting headaches have become more common as the day of the attack nears. In the story, the Amis writes, “It was during the drive to Portland International Jetport that the headache began” (103). This may show that Atta is feeling uneasy about the mission. His uneasiness is also evident in the morning of September 11 as he starts thinking about the attack. Martin Amis writes “Muhammad Atta did not expect to relish that part of it: the exemplary use of the box-cutters. He pictured the women, in their uniforms, in their open-necked shirts. He did not expect to like it; he did not expect to like death in that form. Now he sat back, and felt the approach of nausea: it gathered round him, then sifted through him.” This quote shows that he was uneasy about killing.
The film The Hamburg Cell concentrates on the terrorists who carried out the attack on September 11 2001. These characters met when Atta was studying and living in Hamburg. In the film, the plot and story portrays Atta as a strict Muslim. He also has a negative perception of the modern world, as well as, America. In one of the opening scenes during a meeting with Muslim brothers, Atta is asked about his view of the modern world. He replies that the modern world is confused, upside down, brutal, chaotic. He views it as a world that is full of materialism. In addition, he portrays it as a world full of false promises that can corrupt a Muslim. Therefore, he hates the western world and everything it has to offer.
The film also portrays him as a puritan who believes that the modern world is too forward and superficial. In another scene in the film, as he cooks at the Contrumshaws’ Student Lodging in Hamburg he is visibly disgusted by a naked picture on the wall. He goes to the lengths of turning the picture in order to hide the naked figures depicted. In addition, from the film it is clear that he hates alcohol, as well as, people who drink alcohol. These are western ideals of living that Atta is seen to despise as they are against his religion’s teachings. Therefore, he does not engage in such activities himself.
Among the differences between the story’s and film’s portrayals are Atta’s views on America and Islam. The differences also exist in the way his views of America and Islam motivate his participation in the attacks. In the story, Muhammad is seen as a radical fundamentalist Amis says of him, “He was an apostatehe didn’t expect paradise. What he expected was oblivion. And, strange to say, he would find neither” (100). This quote indicates that he did not believe in many of the teachings of his religion. The other attackers are expecting six dozen virgins and a garden in paradise. Atta, however, does not believe in an afterlife. Amis writes, “Muhammad Atta, with his two degrees in architecture, his excellent English, his excellent German: Muhammad Atta did not believe in the virgins, did not believe in the Garden” (100). This quote means that he does not believe in some of the teachings and beliefs in Islam.
However, he was taking part in the attacks for personal reasons and hatred towards America. Amis (108) writes, “America was responsible for this or that million deaths.” This quote means that Atta blames America for deaths in the Middle East. He wanted to be part of the group that leads in the new war against America. Americans had interfered with Middle East matters for a long time and since these countries do not have military or financial power to counter this interference, they opt for acts of terrorism. Amis (108) writes, “Power was always a monster. And there had never been a monster the size of America. Every time it turned over in its sleep it entrained disasters that would have to roll through villages.” This quote shows the terrorist’s view of America, which they considered a powerful country, as well as, a monster that created disasters globally.
In the film, unlike in the story, Atta is portrayed as a very devout Muslim. He is a purist who is a fundamentalist Muslim. For example, he observes prayer times strictly in the film. The film also shows his disapproval for people who do not stick strictly to the teachings of Islam. In the scene after talking to his mother in Egypt, he provides directions on the handling of his body in the event of his death. Part of his wish is to be buried by good Muslims while facing East (Mecca). At the end of his instructions, he curses any individual who would not follow them as required. Additionally, in the film, he also makes trips to Afghanistan.
The main purpose of his visit to Afghanistan is to train. In many scenes throughout the movie, he comes out as a character willing to fight and die for Islam. Throughout the film, his views on Islam are fundamentalist. In Afghanistan, in a conversation with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed the al Qaeda director of operations he reveals that he is ready to give himself for Allah. These are all signs that show he subscribed to a fundamentalist form of Islam. The film also shows his disapproval for people who do not stick strictly to the teachings of his religion. For instance, he does not get along well with the main character in the film, Ziad. This is because he views Ziad as not being strict enough. Ziad is considered promiscuous and partakes in alcohol, both of which are abhorred in the religion. This creates tension between the two characters. This is evident in the scene in America when Atta smells alcohol in Ziad’s breath. It is also evident in another scene where Ziad is relaxing by the swimming pool with his shirt open. Atta directly confronts him and asks him to button up his shirt since it exposes his body.
In the film, Atta’s hatred for America is seen in his meticulous preparation and determination to attack America. In his planning, he is seen identifying possible fight schools and applying while working together with his conspirators in order to ensure their attack is a success. During the course of the movie, he is also able to get into America and attend flight school in Florida. This is part of his greater part. His hatred of America is clearly seen by one of the targets he identifies. He supports the ideals that America is the octopus head that needs to be attacked in order to liberate Muslims and is happy to hear that he will be taking part in the holy war. In one scene after the 1997 bombing of the American Embassy by Al Qaeda, he is seen chanting “death to America.” He smiles and nods as he watches on television the devastation of the terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya. In another scene, he is happy to hear that Osama wants him in Afghanistan. In the year 2000 when he disappears for a number of months, he was in Afghanistan where he trained with the Al Qaeda terrorist organization, which organized the September 11 attacks.
In the story, “The last days of Muhammad Atta” Martin Amis deviates from the conventional portrayal of Atta for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is given at the beginning of the story; “no physical, documentary, or analytical evidence provides a convincing explanation why Atta and Omari drove to Portland, Maine from Boston on the morning of September 10, only to return to Logan on flight 5930 on the morning of September 11 (Amis, 93).” Although the movements of the terrorists on their last day were uncovered, there is no logical explanation as to why they travelled.
More important is that Martin Amis is trying to give a different perspective of the man who would carry out the most significant attack on American soil in modern history. The main reason for this view is that it emerges that Muhammad was not a typical terrorist. As mentioned earlier, Atta is an individual who speaks fluent German and has two degrees. He was well educated and came from a middle class background. Amis writes, “Muhammad Atta was not religious; he was not even especially political.” This implies that the story does not portray him as a religious. This goes against the idea that terrorists are highly religious individuals fighting for religious reasons.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, the dramatization is deliberate by the author to portray the thought process of a man who understands that he is living his last day on earth. This is a bit different from the portrayal in the film “The Hamburg Cell” which is based on real life accounts of the same character. His negative view of the western world resulted in him seeking solace in his religion. This in turn led to his receiving of teachings on jihad and his eventual radicalization. Amis writes, “Muhammad Atta was not religious; he was not even especially political. He had allied himself with the militants because jihad was, by many magnitudes, the most charismatic idea of his generation.” This quote portrays Atta as an individual convinced of the need for jihad by fundamentalists who had glorified jihad and the need to fight for Islam.
The main reason why the author deviates from the accurate portrayal of Atta is to interrogate his thought process. In this way, the author provides a reader with an insight into Atta revealing his hate for America and the Western world. This also exposes his great fundamentalist desire to carry out attacks on this corrupt world. This is evidenced by Amis’ writing on Atta’s character, “If you took away all the rubbish about faith, then fundamentalism suited his character, and with an almost sinister precision (105).” This quote from the story reveals that fundamentalism suited Atta greatly; hence, he was ready to die for a fundamentalist course. In turn, this led to his subsequent suicide mission, which involved organizing and crashing an airplane into the world trade center, as well as, other locations in the United States on September 11 2001.
Works Cited:
Amis, Martin. The Last Days of Muhammad Atta.The Second Plan.93 – 123 (2006). Print.
Dwyer, Finola, Antonia Bird, Ronan Bennett, Alice Perman, Karim Salah, MaralKamel, Omar Berdouni, Adrian Corker, and Paul Conboy. The Hamburg Cell. Silver Spring, Md.: Acorn Media, 2006.
