Eman Mohammed: The courage to tell a hidden story

Prevodilac: Bojan Slavkovic Lektor: Ivana Korom

When I turned 19, I started my career

Kada sam napunila 19 godina, počela je moja karijera

as the first female photojournalist

prvog ženskog fotoreportera

in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

na pojasu Gaze, u Palestini.

My work as a woman photographer

Moj posao ženskog fotografa

was considered a serious insult

je smatran za ozbiljnu uvredu

to local traditions,

lokalne tradicije,

and created a lasting stigma

koji je stvorio trajnu stigmu

for me and my family.

za mene i moju porodicu.

The male-dominated field made my presence

Muški popunjeno polje je učinilo moje prisustvo

unwelcome by all possible means.

nepoželjnim po svim nivoima.

They made clear that a woman

Istakli su da žena

must not do a man's job.

ne sme da radi posao muškarca.

Photo agencies in Gaza refused to train me

Novinarske agencije odbile su da me obučavaju

because of my gender.

zbog mog pola.

The "No" sign was pretty clear.

Znak "Ne" je bio prilično jasan.

Three of my colleagues

Trojica mojih kolega

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

otišli su tako daleko da su me odveli u otvorenu zonu bombardovanja

where the explosion sounds

gde su zvuci eksplozija

were the only thing I could hear.

bili jedino što sam mogla da čujem.

Dust was flying in the air,

Prašina je bila svuda u vazduhu

and the ground was shaking like a swing beneath me.

i zemlja se tresla kao ljuljaška ispod mene.

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

Tek sam tada shvatila da nismo tu da snimimo događaj

when the three of them got back into the armored Jeep

kada su sva trojica ušla u oklopljen džip

and drove away, waving and laughing,

i odvezla se, mašući i smejući se,

leaving me behind in the open air strike zone.

ostavljajući me iza u zoni bombardovanja.

For a moment, I felt terrified,

Na trenutak, osetila sam se prestravljeno,

humiliated, and sorry for myself.

poniženo, i bilo mi je žao same sebe.

My colleagues' action was not

Postupak mojih kolega nije bila jedina

the only death threat I have received,

pretnja smrću koju sam dobila,

but it was the most dangerous one.

ali je bila najopasnija.

The perception of women's life in Gaza

Percepcija ženskog života u Gazi

is passive.

je pasivna.

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

Sve do skoro, mnogim ženama nije bilo dozvoljeno

to work or pursue education.

da rade ili da se obrazuju.

At times of such doubled war including

U vremenima duplog rata uključujući

both social restrictions on women

socijalne restrikcije žena

and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,

i izraelsko-palestinski konflikt,

women's dark and bright stories were fading away.

ženske tamne i svetle priče blede.

To men, women's stories were seen

Muškarcima, ženske priče su izgledale

as inconsequential.

kao nedosledne.

I started paying closer attention

Počela sam da obraćam mnogo više pažnje

to women's lives in Gaza.

na život žena u Gazi.

Because of my gender, I had access

Zbog mog pola, imala sam pristup

to worlds where my colleagues were forbidden.

svetovima koji su zabranjeni mojim kolegama.

Beyond the obvious pain and struggle,

Pored očiglednog bola i borbe,

there was a healthy dose

postojala je zdrava doza

of laughter and accomplishments.

smeha i postignuća.

In front of a police compound in Gaza City

Pored policijske postave u Gazi,

during the first war in Gaza,

tokom prvog rata u Gazi,

an Israeli air raid managed to destroy the compound

izraelski vazdušni napad uništio je postavu

and break my nose.

i slomili su mi nos tokom toga.

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

Na trenutak, sve što sam videla bila je belina, jarka belina,

like these lights.

poput ovih svetala.

I thought to myself I either got blind

Pomislila sam, ili sam oslepela,

or I was in heaven.

ili sam u raju.

By the time I managed to open my eyes,

Dok nisam otvorila oči,

I had documented this moment.

zabeležila sam taj trenutak.

Mohammed Khader, a Palestinian worker

Muhamed Hader, palestinski radnik

who spent two decades in Israel,

koji je proveo dve decenije u Izraelu,

as his retirement plan,

kao plan za penziju,

he decided to build a four-floor house,

odlučio je da izgradi četvorospratnu kuću

only by the first field operation at his neighborhood,

i tokom prve kopnene operacije u njegovom komšiluku,

the house was flattened to the ground.

njegova kuća je sravnjena do zemlje.

Nothing was left but the pigeons he raised

Ništa nije ostalo osim golubova koje je čuvao

and a jacuzzi, a bathtub

i đakuzija, kade

that he got from Tel Aviv.

koju je doneo iz Tel Aviva.

Mohammed got the bathtub

Muhamed je odneo kadu

on the top of the rubble

na vrh ruševine

and started giving his kids

i počeo je svakog jutra

an every morning bubble bath.

da svojoj deci priređuje kupku sa penom.

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

Moj posao nije bio da sakrijem ožiljke rata,

but to show the full frame

već da pokažem punu sliku

of unseen stories of Gazans.

neviđenih priča u Gazi.

As a Palestinian female photographer,

Kao ženskog palestinskog fotoreportera

the journey of struggle, survival and everyday life

avantura borbe, preživljavanja i svakodnevnog života

has inspired me to overcome the community taboo

me je inspirisala da prevaziđem društveni tabu

and see a different side of war and its aftermath.

i da vidim drugu stranu rata i njegovih posledica.

I became a witness with a choice:

Postala sam svedok sa izborom:

to run away or stand still.

pobeći ili ostati na mestu.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Aplauz)

(Applause)