Refugees in Palestine: 'Our photos are more powerful than a bullet or gun' – in pictures
posted on: Sep 3, 2017
By: Jessie McDonald
Source: The Guardian
Inside a Palestinian refugee camp just outside Bethlehem, an arts centre is encouraging young people to express themselves through photography. Here they share their images and the experiences that inspired them
All photographs courtesy of Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society
‘Photography is a form of beautiful resistance,’ says Kanan Abusrour, 17, who has taken music and photography lessons at the Alrowwad cultural centre at the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem. ‘You can take a picture that shows you that no matter what happens there is a good form of life here. There is always hope’
‘I chose to learn photography so that I could take photos of the moments of beauty in my life, to say that I am a human before anything else,’ says Ahmad Abusrour, 19, who is pictured here. The centre provides free lessons in dance, theatre, music and photography, as well as courses in coding and computing. The aim is to channel young people’s energy creatively
The West Bank barrier partially surrounds Aida camp. This picture taken by Madj Abusrour, 21, shows a boy looking down the length of the wall towards the army compound in the distance, where there is a constant military presence. Children often congregate in this area, but playing in the rubble near to the wall carries risks. There are regular incursions by Israeli security forces and clashes involving camp residents. About 25 children from Aida camp under the age of 18, some as young as 13, are in prison, many accused of throwing stones
More than 3,000 people, many of whom are children, live within the tiny camp. Severe overcrowding means there is a lack of open space in which to play. This picture of a young girl was taken by Shaheed Hamamra, 16, who believes ‘only in the eyes of a child can you see the future’
Studying photography gives the students a chance to get creative with their surroundings. Yasmeen Salhab, 16, took this picture with the assistance of two young helpers. She captions it: ‘We don’t fear falling, but we anticipate it instead’
Photograph: Yasmeen Salhab
Ahmad Abusrour captured this image within an image, featuring one of his fellow photographers. Teachers at the Alrowwad centre particularly encourage women to get involved in all of their programmes
Photograph: Ahmad Abusrour
‘In the camp there are not a lot of things to do so I try to spend time in Alrowwad to learn new skills,’ says Majd. ‘Otherwise I like to spend time with my friends, playing cards and smoking argile [sheisha].’ Majd took this picture of his friend Ahmad. He calls it ‘rise, you have a story’. Life for young people inside the refugee camps in the West Bank is often dangerous and, at the same time, monotonous, due to restrictions on freedom of movement
Photograph: Majd Abusrour
Like many of the young photographers, Ahmad sees children as an important part of camp life, believing that ‘childhood in the camp is a symbol that can’t be broken’. This picture is of two sets of twin girls living in Aida
Photograph: Ahmad Abusrour
‘I enjoy studying photography because it’s something that I feel from the inside. It’s a way for me to channel my inner energy and a way to express myself,’ says Majd
Photograph: Majd Abusrour
Hadeel Hamdan, 20, was inspired by the many cats that roam the camp. ‘Even cats long for a homeland,’ he says. Cats and birds are popular pets there, with some families creating mini-aviaries on the rooftops of their houses
Photograph: Hadeel Hamdan
‘Studying photography allows us to make an impact if our photos are seen by people around the world,’ says Majd. ‘The photos we take are more powerful than a bullet or a gun.’ This image shows Eid Mubarak celebrations, when residents improvised with burning metal dish scrubbers to create a mini fireworks display
Photograph: Majd Abusrour
The centre encourages students to ‘project a more honest depiction of the Palestinian people and culture’. This photo by Abdelrahman Shoka, 21, shows the oldest and youngest members of a family in the street outside their home. Extended family tend to live together in one house. Despite the hardships in the camp, the concept of homelessness does not exist. ‘If someone is sleeping on the street it is shameful,’ says one camp resident
Photograph: Abdelrahman Shoka
