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Kevin Carter started capturing the life of the tortured and the starved in South Africa due to brutality of the Apartheid. It took the photographer 20 minutes of observing and adjusting to capture this award winning picture while the little girl was struggling to get to a source of water. Carter killed himself at the age of 34. His suicide not included these lines “I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings & corpses & anger & pain ... of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners”
(Palestinian girl obviously terrified as she gets arrested by the Israeli IOF)
(Lebanese child mourning his mother as she dies in his arms in the Israeli offense on Lebanon in the July war 'Operation just Reward')
Photographers have a duty to transmit these images to the public.
What about the rest of you silent observers?
You gaze with nothing but the lens God gave you at your fellow children of God in silence.
11 comments:
What can I say, Mirvat..these pictures represent our worst nightmares, whether to lose your mother, die of thirst, or be taken away for torture..Human suffering is around us, yet in our society, we embrace the "out of sight, out of mind attitude" Photographers capture these images so we will never forget.
suicide is not good. useless. and pointless. i won't kill myself b/c there's too much violence and death around. not a good idea, and i know u didn't suggest that i do, right?
i read ur post carefully. i saw these pictures before. and allow me to comment.
i'm a silent observer then. watching fellow human beings being killed in silence. that would make me a "complice". i would say no. honestly. i refuse and hate and god i hate to see what's happening. i talk about it around me and try to explain, i'm not friends with GW though so i doubt i have any impact there. my role is to do what i have to do, steadily. and be myself and express myself, freely. and when i can do something more useful i do it. not b/c i feel guilty but b/c it's right. in my own way. by my own code.
the times are bad mirvat. the arabs are too weak to move or act as one entity. i know, 300 miliion people, should be able to do something. it's sad. but true. u know the reality of these countries. one big large huge ugly prison. i'm so sad to say that. but we have to admit. our people r too tired, hungry, terrorised.. corruption.. majorly depressed. i don't have to go on, u know right?
so what do u expect? a big revolution? synchronized changes of regimes? my dear the wind is not blowing that way.
and yet. the change will come one day. when the people collectively decide that they're ready for it. imposing change from outside doesn't work. the path to democracy and freedom is not easy. people have to feel the need for it and be wise enough to choose it. they have to have enough maturity and that comes with freedom and education and more education.
it's a tough situation. i don't expect any radical changes in the near future. but i trust the arabs. i trust the palestinians. the lebanese. they stand against occupation and terror. they are still fighting for their right to live and their dignity. they don't need any help from any spectators or observers. they chose to live and will always fight for life. instinctively..
so be strong. continue ur fight. i'll do my job. life goes on. and one day the change will come.
zanzounito, i know and i can't forgive myself for times i didn't think about what's happening around us and to us because it didn't directly affect us.
babykaos, i'm with you. yes i know. these pictures should be passed around for as many as possible to see and the fingers of blame should always be pointed at the people who sit in silence so maybe one day one of these people will have enough influence or will to make a difference.
ana ma3ek, i get your point and i hope that you get mine :) the blame mish 3layye we 3layki, it's a response to some israelieh 3am bizoro lsite we they claim inno mish tale3 bi eedon shee. a cry to the more powerfull, le amercan who either don't know or don't care. it's a cry..
we do what we can..
:(
>> :(
Mirvat, that child and mother photo series killed me!
Beautiful tribute to the inhumanity photographers record with their lenses - and evidence of how sometimes that pain witnessed is just too much to bear.
It is always good to keep them on the blog. Till today I am still receiving comments on this boy's pictures from people who are seeing them for the first time.
It doesn't harm, khalliyoun yshoufo.
Oh and Hi Mirvat :)
i know mr. n, me too.
T. thank you. i love your post-vacation posts by the way. i'm not commenting but i'm visiting.
hi am, eh ba3ref khalliyon mayinso. i'm trying to work with the expats on a permanent memorial. will be e-based at first but maybe when things settle nshalla, something in beirut.
hey mirvat,
it's really wierd but i have the same photo of the palestinian girl on my wall... so i never forget. when i feel down i remember these people and i feel strong again.
Allah bi3een... we all pray things gets better..
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