Fatimah Hossaini, Afghan Photographer: ‘I Used To Have Problems With The Fathers, Brothers Or Husbands Of The Women I Wanted To Photograph’
New
Age Islam News Bureau
03
March 2024
•
Fatimah Hossaini, Afghan Photographer: ‘I Used To Have Problems With The
Fathers, Brothers Or Husbands Of The Women I Wanted To Photograph’
•
Arab Women Photographers Shine at Xposure 2024: Breaking Barriers in Art and
Photography
•
Fresh Efforts Unveiled To Prove Evidence Of Torture In US Custody And Dr. Aafia
Siddiqui’s Innocence
•
KSrelief Empowers Yemeni Girls With Vocational Training
•
Calling Unknown Woman 'Darling' Offensive: Kolkata HC
•
Pakistani Woman's Tale Of Romance Over Shawarma And Zinger Burgers Sparks
Online Amusement
•
The Deeper Resonance Of Celebrating Women Each And Every Year
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/fatimah-hossaini-afghan-photographer/d/131841
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Fatimah
Hossaini, Afghan Photographer: ‘I Used To Have Problems With The Fathers,
Brothers Or Husbands Of The Women I Wanted To Photograph’
Fatimah
Hossaini, Afghan Photographer
------
Patricia
R. Blanco
MAR
03, 2024
Fatimah
Hossaini, 31, has been chased down the street by men who have insulted her and
threatened her. They have sometimes managed to prevent her from doing her job:
portraying the beauty of women in Afghanistan. “The only problem was that I was
a woman with a camera on the streets of Kabul,” says this Afghan artist, who
was born in Iran. However, despite the harassment, she remembers that stage in
her life — the one which took place in the years before the Taliban returned to
power in her country, in August of 2021 — as one of periods of the “greatest
freedom” she ever experienced in her life.
To
understand why Hossaini has focused her photographic project on capturing the
beauty of Afghan women, work that she continues to do from her current exile in
Paris, it’s necessary to turn to the “identity crisis” that she has experienced
for a good part of her life. She has been the victim of triple discrimination:
as an Afghan in Iran, as a woman in countries with strong patriarchal
domination and as a member of the Hazara minority (a group of Shia Muslims in
Afghanistan).
“Migration,
identity and gender are the three most important themes of my work,” she says
during an interview with EL PAÍS in Barcelona, within the framework of the
Human Rights Defender project, organized in several Catalan municipalities at
the end of last year.
“I
was completely integrated into Iranian society, because I was born there. But
you can only be Iranian if your parents are, so three generations after my
family’s migration, I was still Afghan.” And while she claims that she owes
“her artistic career” to her Iranian teachers and the “influence of Persian
culture,” she suffered “discrimination from school to university.”
“My
life would have been easier if I had had Iranian nationality. [Since that]
identity crisis was a part of my life, I tried to discover Afghanistan,
especially the women,” she notes. The first Afghan women she met were her
mother and her sisters. However, when she tried to find out what the others
were like, she only found “the cliché of Afghan women portrayed in the media as
victims, forced to cover themselves with a burqa.”
The
search for the Afghan feminine essence was one of the reasons why she returned
to Afghanistan in 2018, where she worked as a professor of photography at the
University of Kabul. “I found many interesting, different and very valuable
stories from Afghan women that made me reflect on why we’re always presented as
a symbol of the victims of the world,” she reflects.
Hossaini
is mindful that the restrictions imposed by “the patriarchal society” of
Afghanistan — even before the return of the Taliban — were numerous. “I used to
have problems with the parents, brothers or husbands of the women I wanted to
photograph. And that’s why I used to turn to artists, musicians and actresses,
who were familiar with the camera and let me publish their photos.” And, above
all, they allowed her to show “the beauty hidden in the midst of war and
misery… that femininity and that halo of hope.”
“In
Iran, the government controls everything and forces you to [wear a hijab] if
you’re a woman. But in Kabul, at that time, there were no police officers to
tell you what to do or what not to do,” Hossaini recalls. “I wore the hijab on
the street for my own safety, but not in classes, where I also had more female
students than male students,” she explains.
Hossaini
remembers the time before the return of the Taliban regime with some nostalgia.
“There was a new lifestyle in Kabul, thanks in part to the fact that the new
generations, especially those of us who came from the diaspora, returned to the
country and tried to build something and bring a little freedom and many new
ideas.”
Therefore,
despite being a woman and a Hazara in a sexist society — a traditional target
of the Taliban — she emphasizes that “it was fantastic” to be in her country of
origin and to feel “so free.”
However,
the Taliban’s return to power threw women “into a gender apartheid that makes
their lives impossible.” Even today, it’s difficult for her to believe the
“horrors” that took place. On August 14, 2021, just one day before the fall of
Kabul, in an interview with CNN, she denied the possibility of the Taliban
regaining power: “I said very confidently that the new generation of Afghans
would never allow a terrorist group [to take over Afghanistan again] and that
the international community was also there to protect us.” Reality hit her the
next morning, when, from her balcony, she saw “Taliban fighters in the streets,
with their flags and their motorcycles.”
“I
stayed at home for two days without eating, shocked and exhausted, until some
friends came and we went to the airport together,” she says. She was able to
escape three days later, because — in the middle of the chaos in the commercial
terminal — the French ambassador recognized her. He had attended her photo
exhibitions in Kabul. “[He helped get me out] and I flew to Paris,” she
continues. “For me it was incredible that this happened before the eyes of the
international community… I saw how everyone left, how my friends fled to other
countries, how Afghanistan lost all its human talent, how no one resisted after
four decades of wars and conflicts, how all our dreams and hopes were
destroyed.”
Paris
made her relive the feeling she had experienced in Iran, of feeling like a
foreigner. “It’s a beautiful and inspiring city to be an artist, but it’s not
my home,” she sighs. However, she hasn’t given up her efforts to portray Afghan
women: she looked for those who had taken refuge in France and found, once
again, her hidden beauties. “I even photographed them with Afghan clothes and
accessories, but on this occasion, as expatriates.” That beauty, she explains, also
emerges amid adversity, because “living in exile requires courage and
resilience… it forces you to live disconnected from your origins and integrate
into a new language, living with a new people and a new culture, while, at the
same time, you deal with the traumas that you carry.”
Source:
English.Elpais.Com
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Arab
Women Photographers Shine at Xposure 2024: Breaking Barriers in Art and
Photography
Arab Women Photographers Shine at Xposure 2024:
Breaking Barriers in Art and Photography
-------
Muhammad
Jawad
02
Mar 2024
At
the recent Xposure 2024 panel, 'Elevating the Voices of Women in Photography
and Art,' in Sharjah, women photographers from the Arab world, including Rania
Matar, Fatma Almosa, and Hind Taryam, alongside industry experts Karin-Rehn
Kaufmann and Lars Boering, shared insights into the evolving landscape of
photography. Highlighting the significance of creativity, the timeless appeal
of monochrome, and the importance of cultural representation, these
photographers underline a moment of opportunity and growth in their field.
Emirati
photographer Fatma Almosa emphasized the power of black-and-white photography
to transcend time and focus on the essence of the subject, using her work to
bridge cultures and generations. Rania Matar, on the other hand, leveraged
photography as a medium to shift narratives around Arab identities post-9/11,
capturing the diverse stories of women in Lebanon and Palestinian refugee
camps. Hind Taryam's approach to photography centers on capturing genuine human
connections, underscored by her travels to diverse landscapes from Japan to
Antarctica.
The
panelists collectively acknowledged the critical role of support from
governments, families, and audiences in their journeys. Almosa highlighted the
significance of this backing in enabling women photographers to become cultural
ambassadors. The discussion also touched upon the supportive role of
institutions like Leica Galleries International in nurturing photographers'
careers. Karin-Rehn Kaufmann, representing Leica, underscored the importance of
focusing on the artist behind the camera, beyond mere technical excellence.
The
conversation at Xposure 2024 not only celebrated the achievements of these
women in the field of photography but also delved into the broader implications
of their work on cultural representation and artistic expression. The
panelists' stories reflect a shared belief in photography's power to
communicate, connect, and change perceptions, highlighting the medium's role as
a universal language of the heart and spirit.
The
insights shared by these pioneering women at Xposure 2024 offer a compelling
glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of working within the competitive
realm of photography and art. Their narratives underscore the importance of
creativity, support, and cultural representation in carving out a successful path
in this dynamic field.
Source:
Bnnbreaking.Com
-----
Fresh
Efforts Unveiled To ProveEvidence Of Torture In US Custody And Dr. Aafia
Siddiqui’s Innocence
March
3, 2024
KARACHI:
Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s American lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, said on Saturday he
had been working to find further evidence of torture on her in US custody and
her innocence for the past 10 days.
Addressing
a press conference along with Dr Aafia’s sister, Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, Mr Smith
said he had been working day and night with the very willing assistance of many
people in Afghanistan to find further evidence of Dr Aafia’s torture in US
custody and her innocence of the charges.
He
said numerous witnesses proved that Dr Aafia was held in Bagram for a
significant part of the five years she was missing (2003-08), before she was
moved to another, even worse prison. “People who say she was at liberty at that
time are simply not telling the truth,” he added.
The
counsel said that on July 17, 2008, Dr Aafia was sent to Ghazni with the
promise that she would get her daughter, Maryam, back. “We can now prove that
this was a sham, and a call had been made to the police that she was a suicide
bomber,” he said, adding that the only thing that saved her life was a brave
Ghazni tailor who worked across from the Khalid Bin Walid Mosque and had been
able to speak Urdu with her.
He
said the tailor prevented Dr Aafia’s potential shooting by AK-47-wielding
Afghan National Police officers by vouching for her innocence and by standing
between her and them and telling them that the caller was lying. “We have
located several witnesses to corroborate the tailor’s evidence,” Mr Smith
added.
Dr
Fowzia Siddiqui said the world talked warmly about women’s rights, but it
suddenly became silent when Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s name was uttered.
She
said that successive governments and politicians had disappointed the nation on
the issue of Dr Aafia. “I have no hope that our spineless politicians would do
anything for Aafia,” she said, adding that she was, however, confident about
the role of courts.
Source:
dawn.com
https://www.dawn.com/news/1818697/fresh-efforts-unveiled-to-prove-aafia-siddiquis-innocence
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KSrelief
empowers Yemeni girls with vocational training
ARAB
NEWS
March
02, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi aid agency KSrelief recently provided vocational training to 40 Yemeni
girls from foster families.
The
culinary, sewing and entrepreneurship empowerment-for-education training was
held in Yemen’s Socotra Governorate.
The
scheme was held in cooperation with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization, and is part of a wider project encouraging education
for girls in Yemen.
Brig.
Gen. Saleh Ali Saad Al-Saqtari, representative of the Socotra Governorate,
commended KSrelief’s humanitarian projects in the region. He said the girls’
education project will provide sustainable sources of income for families and
support women in pursuing careers.
The
project offers 14 educational and training courses covering sewing, embroidery,
incense and perfume making, culinary arts, technology, photography and more.
The
project is part of the humanitarian and relief projects provided by the
Kingdom’s humanitarian arm, KSrelief, to impoverished families in Yemen.
KSrelief
also distributed 400 food baskets in the Kohistan district of Pakistan’s Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province as part of the third phase of its Food Security Support
Project. The aid benefited 2,800 people in vulnerable flood-affected areas.
Source:
Arabnews
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2469971/saudi-arabia
-----
Calling
Unknown Woman 'Darling' Offensive: Kolkata HC
Mar
3, 2024
KOLKATA:
The word "darling" has a sexual connotation, held the bench of
Justice Jay Sengupta and found it to be an offensive and sexually coloured
remark under Section 354A(1) (iv) while hearing an appeal of Janak Ram on
Friday, who was earlier sentenced to three months of imprisonment by a lower
court. The Calcutta High Court judge was hearing an appeal at the circuit bench
at Port Blair.
The
accused had uttered to a lady head constable - "Kya Darling Challan
KarneAai Hay Kya" - at Andaman's Mayabunder police station area on Oct 21,
2015, when a police team had gone on a raid.
The
court found the comment to be reprehensible and a sexist expression, as it was
used by a purportedly drunken man against a woman constable on duty on a
festive night. The HC affirmed the conviction imposed by the trial court but
modified the imprisonment to one month from three months. Earlier in April
2023, a judicial magistrate and later in Nov 2023 an additional district judge
had found Ram guilty. So, he moved the appeal to HC.
However,
former advocate general of Bengal Bimal Chatterjee found the imprisonment of a
person for a month for saying darling a bit harsh and instead, said he could
have been allowed to go with a simple warning. "However, it is surely
unpleasant for a lady constable to hear such a salutation from an unknown
person while on duty. It would have been better if the salutation was a bit
more civilized. It might appear as teasing for a woman in uniform. The accused
should move an appeal against this order," he said.
Senior
advocate of Calcutta HC SubrotoMookherjee said the dictionary says the word
darling means much loved, very attractive or special so how can it become derogatory,
abusive or sexually coloured? "Ideally, one should respect people in
uniform. He could have been fined, as he did not say it with intention, but as
a colloquial tongue he must have uttered it. Next, if you say hello, then
someone can charge you for seeking sexual favour," he said.
However,
former judge of Calcutta High Court Justice Rabindranath Samanta felt that the
word darling was used in a bad gesture and it attracts punishment. He felt it
to be a sexually coloured remark, which one should not use.
Psychologist
Amit Chakraborty said: "The word darling has a sexual pinch. A man can
call a woman darling if they have a sexual relationship. I do not call my
sister a darling. It is surely a sexist remark made by a man or even by a
woman. When there is a special relationship then only darling is used. Can the
man, who said darling, utter the same word to a policeman?"
Source:
Times Of India
-----
Pakistani
Woman's Tale Of Romance Over Shawarma And Zinger Burgers Sparks Online Amusement
Digvijay
Mar
03, 2024
The
viral video on Instagram, which has been a source of amusement for many
Indians, features a Pakistani woman recounting her unusual love story with her
ex-brother.
Clad
in a grey salwar kameez, she candidly shares the details of their relationship,
which she claims was initiated by their shared love for "Shawarma and 2
Zinger burgers."
Despite
the unconventional nature of their relationship, the woman appears unabashed as
she recounts how her spouse, who happens to be older than her, used to visit
her regularly and take care of her needs.
One
particular incident stands out in her memory - when she requested her husband
to bring her a Shawarma, he not only fulfilled her request by bringing "Shawarma" but also surprised her
with "2 Zinger burgers. This thoughtful gesture left a lasting impression
on her and further cemented their bond.
Source:
www.indiatimes.com
-----
The
deeper resonance of celebrating women each and every year
MARCH
3, 2024
March
is Women’s History Month, an annual observance to highlight the contributions
of women around the world, with March 8, International Women’s Day, celebrating
the achievements of women as well as marking a call to action for accelerating
gender parity.
As
American icon Gloria Steinem, who turns 90 on March 25, said recently,
“Democracy is supposed to mean everybody is equal. And as long as we have a
patriarchy – indeed, as long as women raise children more than men do and men
earn more money than women do – we don’t have democracy at home… Democracy is a
statement of hope. Not reality.”
In
Beit Shemesh, Mayor Aliza Bloch won a close battle with former mayor Moshe
Abutbul, but because neither garnered the necessary 40% of the votes, they are
now set for a run-off. And in Haifa, Mayor EinatKalisch-Rotem won only 4.5% of
the vote, and Israel’s third largest city is now set for a run-off between two
men: former mayor YonaYahav and challenger David Etzioni.
According
to an Israel Democracy Institute study, “From a historical perspective, the
proportion of female heads of local authorities in Israel has been extremely
low – essentially negligible.” The authors note that the proportion is also
particularly low in comparison to the representation rates of women in the
Knesset and the government. There are 31 female MKs (26%), while only five of
the 32 cabinet ministers (16%) are women.
One
indication of the pervasive sexism in politics is evident in the latest Pew
survey, conducted before the war, which found that a third of Israelis believed
that politics would get worse if more elected officials were women, compared to
about a third who say politics would improve and about another third who say it
would stay the same. Israel’s percentage of those who think politics would
worsen with more women was the highest out of the 24 countries polled.
Israel
is also unique in two factors: it is the only country where views are evenly
split, as Israelis are just as likely to believe policies would get worse as
they are to say they would improve or stay the same, and it is the country with
the biggest differential between gender-based views, where 47% of women think
politics would improve, over three times the 15% of men who think the same.
This
is a sad state of affairs. Israel’s only female prime minister, Golda Meir,
fared exceptionally well during the Yom Kippur War, as demonstrated in the 2023
film Golda directed by Guy Nativ. “Whether women are better than men I cannot
say, but I can say they are certainly not worse,” she famously quipped.
In
his keynote address to the World Zionist Organization in Jerusalem last week,
Rabbi Doron Perez, whose son Daniel is one of the hostages being held by Hamas,
made a point of paying tribute to the “righteous women” who have played a key
role in Jewish history, citing Esther, whose heroism is celebrated on Purim.
“Yes,
our sons and brothers and fathers predominantly are those fighting in Gaza and
those falling, but their spouses, their mothers, their grandmothers: the price
they pay, sometimes families not seeing each other... for months on end” is
also heroic: “the incredible dedication, not only of our fathers and sons but
of our mothers and daughters and those in the home front and in the battlefront
who together represent the spirit of life.”
Many
of the heroes of this war have been women. As The Jerusalem Post’s Yonah Jeremy
Bob reported, “a non-commissioned officer in Intelligence Unit 8200, ‘V’ is the
female hero who foresaw the full scope of Hamas’s plans and warned about them
multiple times before October 7.” Were the warnings of the IDF lookouts not
heeded because they were women?
One
thing should be abundantly clear: So long as there is gender inequality,
Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day are extremely relevant –
including in Israel.
Source:
Www.Jpost.Com
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-789893
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/fatimah-hossaini-afghan-photographer/d/131841