DAY THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Day that changed the world

Civic and community leaders have recalled where they were on the day that changed the world.

City mayor Peter Soulsby said: "I was at the gym in Leicester on the running machine. The TV was on with no sound, and the pictures of the twin towers came up on the screen. One by one the machines stopped, and everyone gathered round to watch as they realised this was not a film, but reality.

'What struck me most after the event was the sense of outrage, and the solidarity people felt with America and with the families and friends of those who had been killed. For us in Leicester it did have some positive outcomes. The establishment of a group of faith leaders – the Faith Leaders' Forum – was very welcome.

"It helped to remind us that community cohesion, as we call it now, isn't something any of us can take for granted."

Bishop of Leicester the Rt Rev Tim Stevens said the first he knew about 9/11 was through a phone call from his secretary.

He said: "The rest of the afternoon was spent being interviewed by the media. Within 48 hours there was an interfaith gathering in the city centre."

In the decade since then. he said great work had been done building up trust between the city's faith communities.

Jagdev Kaur Gill, chairman of the Leicester Sikh Centre, said: "My son called me and told me a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Centre towers. I turned on the television to see the second plane crash.

She added: "At first I thought it was an accident but it was soon clear it was deliberate.

"It was not just an attack on America, it was an attack on the whole world.

"But I believe most people in Leicester condemned what happened and the communities have come closer since it happened. Hopefully, we will continue to work together."

Lord Mayor of Leicester Robert Wann said: "I was staying at my father's house in Cyprus and he called me into the lounge. We just sat glued to the television watching the horrific events unfold."We were just in shock. It was unbelievable."

But when he returned to Leicester he was struck by the atmosphere.He said: "There was a real sense of people coming together from all the communities to condemn terrorism. I believe Leicester people have grown to understand each other better since the attack and we must continue to co-operate to ensure that acts of terrorism are resisted."

Jashvant Chauhan, vice-president of the Hindu Shree Sanatan Mandir temple, consoled his daughter as her friend from university was on one of the planes that crashed into the towers.

Mr Chauhan said: "She rang me in tears telling me her American friend she met at university was on a flight from Boston which crashed into the tower.

"So it was a very personal tragedy for us. But I think the atrocity acted as a wake-up call for us all."

County council leader David Parsons said: "I remember the awful feeling of shock when the news came through but then the dawning realisation that it would have a long-lasting impact on international relations. I pay tribute to the Leicestershire servicemen and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep us safe."