September 9, 2021
By: Kian Tajbakhsh, Professor of Urban Planning and Urban Studies at Columbia
Senior Advisor to the Executive Vice President for Global Centers and Global Development Fellow, Committee on Global Thought
In remembrance of 9/11, Tajbakhsh reflects on his first-hand experience witnessing the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. In his essay titled “September 11: An Iranian In New York,” written on November 28, 2001, Tajbakhsh sheds light on his observation as he draws from various American news media outlets, memorial services, and activist groups, as well as the lives of everyday New Yorkers. He also shows the growing conflict and tension between America and the Middle East and the country’s role in the world more broadly. Although his essay expresses the tragedy and grief that quickly unfolded around him, he concludes with an expression of hope.