Photographer shares Middle East experiences

At the same time many Americans were fearing and fleeing the Middle East, Jesse Kalisher toured the region and was rewarded with a worthwhile experience.

Kalisher and his wife were in a hotel in Syria when the hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. During the months that followed, he traveled in Jordan, Israel and Egypt.

"My faith in humanity plays a big role in my travels," Kalisher said. "You have to learn to trust people."

A renowned photographer and frequent contributor to National Public Radio, Kalisher related his experiences to an audience at UNC on Wednesday during a kickoff event for Friday's groundbreaking of the University's new Global Education Center.

"In the common area of this hotel, Helen and I watched CNN, and we cried and told each other surely thousands of people had died," he said.

Kalisher said the people he talked to in the Middle East had varied reactions to the attacks.

"There were no celebrations in the streets," he said.

He said many people came up to him saying they were sorry about "The Twins," which is how many Arabs referred to the World Trade Center.

But in a hotel in Jordan, Kalisher said he met an Iraqi who was angry that Kalisher was an American.

"It's one thing for me to sit home and drink my Starbucks latte and think about a country we are carpet-bombing with the intent to destroy it," he said. "It's another thing to sit across from a person whose country we're bombing."

He said other people were afraid of American retaliation toward innocent Arabs.

Kalisher said he was amazed by the risks faced and the sacrifices made by people in Israel every day. While he was in Israel, he visited the Western Wall, where a deserted can of soda drew a bomb squad.

Kalisher's journeys then took him to Egypt, which he described as the "land of (his) childhood dreams."

He said Egypt was a "lock-down land," where armed soldiers guard the McDonald's.

Throughout his speech, Kalisher stressed the need for people to continue their lives and to not be afraid after the attacks.

"A terrorist wants to change the way we live," he said. "Israelis have learned to live, and New Yorkers have learned to live, despite terrorists."

Peter Coclanis, associate provost for international affairs, said he was pleased with the event.

"We thought this (performance) would be a tremendous addition to the celebration."

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.