Eman Mohammed: The courage to tell a hidden story

Translator: Andrés Carrasco Reviewer: Mario Cal

Ao cumprir os 19, comecei a miña carreira

como a primeira muller fotoxornalista

na Franxa de Gaza, en Palestina.

When I turned 19, I started my career

O meu traballo como fotógrafa

era considerado un grave insulto

as the first female photojournalist

ás tradicións locais,

in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

e creou un estigma duradeiro

sobre min e a miña familia.

My work as a woman photographer

was considered a serious insult

O territorio dominado por homes converteume nunha presenza molesta

to local traditions,

and created a lasting stigma

por todos os medios posibles.

for me and my family.

Deixaron claro que unha muller

ten prohibido facer o traballo dun home.

The male-dominated field made my presence

As axencias de fotografía de Gaza rexeitaron adestrarme

unwelcome by all possible means.

por causa do meu xénero.

They made clear that a woman

A negativa foi moi clara.

must not do a man's job.

Tres compañeiros meus

Photo agencies in Gaza refused to train me

chegaron a levarme en coche a unha área baixo ataque aéreo

because of my gender.

The "No" sign was pretty clear.

onde os ruídos das explosións

Three of my colleagues

eran o único que podía oír.

went as far as to drive me to an open air strike area

O po estaba suspendido no aire

e o chan tremía coma un bambán baixo os meus pés.

where the explosion sounds

were the only thing I could hear.

Só me decatei de que non estabamos alí para documentar o suceso

Dust was flying in the air,

cando eles tres subiron de volta ao todo terreo acoirazado

and the ground was shaking like a swing beneath me.

e marcharon, saudando coa man e ríndose

I only realized we weren't there to document the event

abandonándome naquela zona exposta ao ataque aéreo.

when the three of them got back into the armored Jeep

Por un intre sentinme aterrorizada,

and drove away, waving and laughing,

humillada, tiña compaixón de min mesma.

leaving me behind in the open air strike zone.

A acción dos meus compañeiros non foi

For a moment, I felt terrified,

a única ameaza de morte que teño recibido,

humiliated, and sorry for myself.

pero foi a máis perigosa.

My colleagues' action was not

A percepción que se ten da vida da muller en Gaza

the only death threat I have received,

é pasiva.

but it was the most dangerous one.

Ata hai pouco tempo, moitas mulleres non tiñan permitido

The perception of women's life in Gaza

traballar ou procurar unha educación.

is passive.

En momentos desa dobre guerra que incluía

Until a recent time, a lot of women were not allowed

tanto as restricións sociais ás mulleres

to work or pursue education.

como o conflito palestino-israelí,

At times of such doubled war including

as historias das mulleres, fermosas ou tráxicas, esvaecíanse.

both social restrictions on women

Entre os homes, as historias das mulleres eran vistas como intrascendentes.

and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,

women's dark and bright stories were fading away.

Comecei a prestar máis atención

ás vidas das mulleres de Gaza.

To men, women's stories were seen

Polo meu xénero, tiña acceso

as inconsequential.

a mundos que aos meus colegas lles estaban vetados.

I started paying closer attention

to women's lives in Gaza.

Máis aló da evidente dor e da dificultade

Because of my gender, I had access

había unha cantidade saudable

to worlds where my colleagues were forbidden.

de risas e logros.

Fronte a un recinto policial na cidade de Gaza

Beyond the obvious pain and struggle,

durante a primeira guerra na zona,

there was a healthy dose

of laughter and accomplishments.

un ataque aéreo israelí conseguiu destruír o recinto

In front of a police compound in Gaza City

e romperme o nariz.

during the first war in Gaza,

Por un momento, só puiden ver un resplandor branco

an Israeli air raid managed to destroy the compound

coma estas luces.

and break my nose.

Pensei para min que, ou ben quedara cega,

For a moment, all I saw was white, bright white,

ou estaba no ceo.

like these lights.

Para cando logrei abrir os ollos,

I thought to myself I either got blind

tiña documentado este momento.

or I was in heaven.

Mohammed Khader, un traballador palestino

By the time I managed to open my eyes,

que pasou dúas décadas en Israel,

I had documented this moment.

decidiu como plan de xubilación

construír unha casa de catro andares

Mohammed Khader, a Palestinian worker

who spent two decades in Israel,

e tan só coa primeira operación de campo no seu barrio

as his retirement plan,

he decided to build a four-floor house,

a casa foi derrubada ata os alicerces.

Non quedou nada máis que as pombas criadas por el

only by the first field operation at his neighborhood,

e un jacuzzi, unha bañeira

the house was flattened to the ground.

que trouxera de Tel Aviv.

Nothing was left but the pigeons he raised

Mohammed instalou a bañeira

por riba dos escombros

and a jacuzzi, a bathtub

e comezou a darlles aos seus fillos

that he got from Tel Aviv.

un baño de burbullas cada mañá.

Mohammed got the bathtub

on the top of the rubble

O meu traballo non pretende ocultar as cicatrices da guerra

and started giving his kids

senón amosar a imaxe completa

an every morning bubble bath.

de historias decoñecidas dos gazatís.

My work is not meant to hide the scars of war,

Como muller fotógrafa e palestina

but to show the full frame

a viaxe de loita, supervivencia e vida cotiá

of unseen stories of Gazans.

As a Palestinian female photographer,

tenme inspirado a superar o tabú comunitario

e captar un punto de vista diferente da guerra e as súas consecuencias.

the journey of struggle, survival and everyday life

has inspired me to overcome the community taboo

Tornei nunha testemuña cunha elección:

and see a different side of war and its aftermath.

escapar ou seguir en pé.

Grazas.

I became a witness with a choice:

(Aplausos)

to run away or stand still.

Thank you.

(Applause)