This will be my last post dedicated to Heather Finnecy‘s photography-rich trip to Middle East to document the lives of women in the region for her project From What I Can See.
If you are reading this for the first time, make sure to read my posts on Heather’s journey to Lebanon and Kuwait and then to Palestine.
Today we will see the women of Jordan!
College Girls – University of Jordan
For more on Jordan, be sure to visit Heather’s portfolio of pictures here.
Last week I attempted to introduce the works of Heather Finnecy, a photographer from San Francisco who set off on a quest to photograph women of Middle East. Heather was 2014’s National Geographic’s Traveler Of The Year. I had all intentions to continue sharing her work last week. What I didn’t anticipate is between Ramadan, work, play, volunteering, with bits of spiritual moments here and there, I wouldn’t be left with any time to dedicate to this blog.
So today I pick up where I left off.
Last week we peeked into the lives of women in Lebanon and Jordan. Today we embark on a journey to Palestine.
Make sure to visit her project site From What I Can See for a complete gallery showcasing her journey into the Middle East.
Palestine
Visit here for a deeper look into the restricted territories of Palestine!
Meet Heather Finnecy.
A photographer from San Francisco set out on a journey to photograph the women of Middle East, in territories many would steer clear of. “As an American, I found there was a hole in the imagery and information that I received about the daily lives of women in the world,” she says. “So I decided to set out and see for myself what it was like.” In her quest to find out what it is like for women in other cultures, she visited Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait, UAE and Afghanistan.
I want to share some of her work with you and I encourage you to visit her project site From What I Can See to view all photographs captured during her Middle East itinerary.
I’m grateful for people like Heather who’ve taken the initiative to walk into unpopular territories exposing a side of the Muslim world unbeknownst to many in the West. Contrary to images of fear, chaos and oppression propagated by Media in our daily lives, her photographs show a rather different perspective of the Middle East – a more modern side. It provides a lens into the lives of women who are striving for their aspirations and dreams just like us. “I believe that every time I go to a new country and I connect with a human there, I am making the world smaller,” Finnecy says. This is so true! The more I travel, the more I realize people essentially everywhere strive for similar things in life. We are more alike then we think we are in spite of our differences in race, religion, culture and traditions. Recognizing this “commonality” we share with people from other parts of the world helps create a bond. And once we establish a bond, we will learn to fear less and respect more. For we only fear what we don’t know.
There’s so much of her work I want to share but I want to leave plenty for you to view on her website.
Since there are a plethora of photographs, today’s post is dedicated to Heather’s journey to Lebanon and Kuwait.
Beirut, Lebanon
Shop Girls
Streets of Beirut
American University of Beirut
On the Waterfront
See more photographs of Lebanon here
Kuwait
See more photographs of Kuwait here
Tomorrow we will take a peek into Heather’s journey to Palestine and Jordan.
National Geographic contributing photographer John Stanmeyer, who has covered conflicts around the world, documents the plight of 66,000 Syrian refugees into Turkey who were fleeing the violence and extremism of ISIS. Turkey has received more than 1.2 million Syrian refugees since the beginning of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, which erupted in spring 2011 and quickly morphed into a vicious civil war that spawned multiple extremist groups, including the Islamic State.
John’s words: “The bizarreness of it all is that this was an influx of many middle class people wandering in wearing slacks and dresses and jackets, even carrying elegant handbags. It’s clearly a group of people that have not migrated like this before. They only brought the clothing on them or a roller, as if they were heading to the airport. Seeing them, I feel like I’m photographing myself, I’m witnessing the reality that can befall upon anyone of us.”
Ya Allah! Give us the wisdom and tolerance to make this world a peaceful place!
Up to 5,000 Syrians from Ayn al Arab amass at the border with Turkey on Friday evening, next to the Turkish village of Dikmetas
A sandstorm hits Dikmetas, while thousands of Turkish Kurds amass at the border with Syria to help Syrian Kurds find water and food upon their arrival
Ahmed, age 5, (right) cries out of fear after crossing into Turkey from Syria with his family
Turkish military keep watch at the border with Syria in Dikmetas
Thousands of Syrians from Kobani pour into Turkey. Turkish military personnel cut a hole into the barbed wire fence to allow the thousands of Syrian Kurds to seek safety
Gul, 22, rests with her youngest son, Burhan, who is one, and her other children. They found shelter at an abandoned gas station in the town of Suriç, Turkey, after walking from Karhko, Syria, hours earlier, fleeing the Islamic State
…in the meantime, we press on other very important, cannot-be-ignored immorality issues such as…is cheese halal (aka kosher)? or…Is it haraam (aka forbidden) for my kid to celebrate Halloween? Can I, as a Muslim, pet a dog?
#EffedUpMoralities
Kudos to Turkey for stepping up…
#WakeUpAndDoSomething
read more at National Geographic
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