Talat Hamdani

Who is Talat Hamdani?

Talat Hamdani is a Pakistan-born American who became a commentator after her son was killed during Al Qaeda's attacks on September 11, 2001. Her son, Mohammad Salman Hamdani, was a New York Police Department cadet.

In August 2004 the San Francisco Chronicle called Hamdani a "a vehement opponent of the Patriot Act", when they quoted her in an article about critics of George Bush who feared he would use the site of the 9-11 attacks for partisan political purposes during the 2004 Republican Convention. Hamdani has described how her son -- a paramedic who had spontaneously made his way to help at the World Trade Center, only to die when the buildings collapsed -- was investigated following the attacks.

A small number of the loved ones of those who died during al Qaeda's attack were selected to attend the Guantanamo military commissions of the most senior Guantanamo captives. Talat was one of those chosen.

The King of Jordan invited Hamdani, and the surviving relatives of other American victims of terrorism, to sit beside him when he addressed the United States Congress in March 2007. The theme of the King's speech was the need for the USA to play a leadership role in guiding the peace process in the middle east.