Eman Mohammed: The courage to tell a hidden story

Translator: Megat Armia Reviewer: Maisarah Atan

When I turned 19, I started my career

Ketika usia saya 19 tahun, saya memulakan kerjaya sebagai

as the first female photojournalist

wartawan jurufoto wanita pertama

in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

di Wilayah Gaza, Palestin.

My work as a woman photographer

Kerjaya saya sebagai jurufoto wanita

was considered a serious insult

dianggap sebagai penghinaan

to local traditions,

kepada tradisi tempatan,

and created a lasting stigma

dan mewujudkan stigma

for me and my family.

kepada saya dan keluarga.

The male-dominated field made my presence

Bidang yang didominasi lelaki ini membuat kehadiran saya

unwelcome by all possible means.

langsung tidak disenangi.

They made clear that a woman

Mereka jelas tidak mahu wanita

must not do a man's job.

bekerja seperti lelaki.

Photo agencies in Gaza refused to train me

Agensi berita di Gaza tidak mahu melatih saya

because of my gender.

hanya kerana jantina saya.

The "No" sign was pretty clear.

Perkara ini amat jelas.

Three of my colleagues

Tiga rakan sekerja saya

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

sanggup membawa saya ke kawasan yang dibedil

where the explosion sounds

di mana bunyi letupan

were the only thing I could hear.

merupakan satu-satunya bunyi yang saya dengari.

Dust was flying in the air,

Habuk beterbangan di udara,

and the ground was shaking like a swing beneath me.

dan bumi bergegar kuat.

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

Saya cuma sedar kedatangan kami bukan untuk membuat liputan

when the three of them got back into the armored Jeep

apabila mereka naik semula ke dalam kenderaaan perisai

and drove away, waving and laughing,

dan memandu pergi, melambai sambil tertawa,

leaving me behind in the open air strike zone.

meninggalkan saya di zon serangan udara terbuka.

For a moment, I felt terrified,

Untuk seketika, saya sangat ketakutan,

humiliated, and sorry for myself.

berasa malu, dan kasihan kepada diri sendiri.

My colleagues' action was not

Tindakan rakan sekerja saya

the only death threat I have received,

bukan satu-satunya ugutan bunuh yang saya terima,

but it was the most dangerous one.

tapi yang pasti inilah yang paling berbahaya.

The perception of women's life in Gaza

Persepsi cara hidup wanita di Gaza

is passive.

adalah sangat pasif.

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

Masih ramai wanita yang tidak dibenarkan

to work or pursue education.

untuk bekerja dan pergi belajar.

At times of such doubled war including

Pada masa perang berganda yang termasuk

both social restrictions on women

kekangan sosial pada wanita

and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,

dan konflik Israel-Palestin,

women's dark and bright stories were fading away.

tidak banyak cerita susah senang wanita dihebahkan.

To men, women's stories were seen

Pada kaum lelaki, cerita-cerita ini

as inconsequential.

tidak bermakna.

I started paying closer attention

Saya mula mengambil lebih perhatian

to women's lives in Gaza.

kepada kehidupan wanita di Gaza.

Because of my gender, I had access

Kerana jantina saya, saya ada akses

to worlds where my colleagues were forbidden.

kepada dunia yang tidak dapat dilihat oleh rakan sekerja saya.

Beyond the obvious pain and struggle,

Di sebalik keperitan dan kepayahan,

there was a healthy dose

banyak juga cerita indah,

of laughter and accomplishments.

gelak ketawa dan pencapaian.

In front of a police compound in Gaza City

Di hadapan balai polis di Bandar Gaza

during the first war in Gaza,

ketika perang pertama di sana,

an Israeli air raid managed to destroy the compound

serangan udara tentera Israel berjaya memusnahkannya

and break my nose.

dan mematahkan hidung saya.

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

Untuk seketika, semuanya kelihatan sangat terang,

like these lights.

seperti lampu di atas pentas ini.

I thought to myself I either got blind

Saya terfikir, samada saya sudah buta

or I was in heaven.

atau saya sudah berada di Syurga.

By the time I managed to open my eyes,

Dan apabila saya membuka mata,

I had documented this moment.

saya mendokumentasikan saat itu.

Mohammed Khader, a Palestinian worker

Mohammed Khader, sorang pekerja warga Palestin

who spent two decades in Israel,

sudah dua dekad tinggal di Israel,

as his retirement plan,

pelan persaraan beliau ialah,

he decided to build a four-floor house,

dia merancang untuk membina rumah empat tingkat,

only by the first field operation at his neighborhood,

tapi sebab serangan di kawasan kejiranannya,

the house was flattened to the ground.

rumahnya roboh.

Nothing was left but the pigeons he raised

Tiada apa yang tinggal, cuma burung merpati peliharaannya

and a jacuzzi, a bathtub

dan tab mandi

that he got from Tel Aviv.

yang dibelinya di Tel Aviv.

Mohammed got the bathtub

Mohammed mengusung tab mandi itu

on the top of the rubble

dan di atas sisa runtuhan

and started giving his kids

dan mula memandikan anak-anaknya

an every morning bubble bath.

setiap pagi di situ.

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

Kerja saya bukan untuk menutup luka-luka perang,

but to show the full frame

tapi untuk memberi sudut pandang berbeza

of unseen stories of Gazans.

cerita-cerita warga Gaza.

As a Palestinian female photographer,

Sebagai seorang jurufoto wanita Palestin,

the journey of struggle, survival and everyday life

kisah perjuangan, keperitan dan kisah seharian

has inspired me to overcome the community taboo

adalah inspirasi saya untuk melawan stigma masyarakat

and see a different side of war and its aftermath.

dalam melihat sisi lain peperangan dan kesannya.

I became a witness with a choice:

Saya adalah saksi dengan satu pilihan:

to run away or stand still.

lari, atau berdiri teguh.

Thank you.

Terima kasih.

(Applause)

(Tepukan)