Eman Mohammed: The courage to tell a hidden story

譯者: Adrienne Lin 審譯者: Marssi Draw

When I turned 19, I started my career

我滿 19 歲的時候，

開始了第一份工作，

as the first female photojournalist

也就是巴勒斯坦加薩走廊

in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

首位女性攝影記者。

職業女攝影記者的身分

My work as a woman photographer

was considered a serious insult

對當地傳統來說

to local traditions,

極為冒犯，

and created a lasting stigma

也替我和家人蒙上永遠的恥辱。

for me and my family.

The male-dominated field made my presence

這個男性主導的領域

讓我的存在一點都不受歡迎。

unwelcome by all possible means.

They made clear that a woman

他們清楚表明，

must not do a man's job.

女人就是不該做男人的工作。

Photo agencies in Gaza refused to train me

加薩的攝影社都拒絕訓練我，

because of my gender.

就因為我是女性。

The "No" sign was pretty clear.

「不」這個訊號可是清楚的很。

Three of my colleagues

我的三位同事

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

甚至曾大老遠載我到遭空襲的地區，

where the explosion sounds

在那裡我能聽見的只有爆炸聲。

were the only thing I could hear.

Dust was flying in the air,

塵土滿天飛，

and the ground was shaking like a swing beneath me.

我腳下的地面震動得如盪鞦韆。

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

後來我發現我們根本 沒有要在那做報導，

when the three of them got back into the armored Jeep

因為他們三個人 回到裝甲吉普車上，

and drove away, waving and laughing,

揮手大笑地揚長而去，

leaving me behind in the open air strike zone.

留下我一個人待在露天空襲區。

For a moment, I felt terrified,

有一瞬間，我嚇壞了，

humiliated, and sorry for myself.

感到備受侮辱，覺得很委屈。

My colleagues' action was not

我同事的舉動

the only death threat I have received,

並不是我唯一面對的死亡威脅，

but it was the most dangerous one.

但卻是最危險的一次。

The perception of women's life in Gaza

加薩女性的生活

is passive.

是被動的。

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

直到近期，才有很多女性

to work or pursue education.

獲准工作並追求教育。

At times of such doubled war including

面對雙重戰爭時，

也就是社會對女性的限制

both social restrictions on women

and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,

與以巴衝突兩個戰爭下，

women's dark and bright stories were fading away.

女性的黑暗與光明故事都消逝了。

To men, women's stories were seen

對男人來說，

女性的故事經常被視為無關緊要。

as inconsequential.

I started paying closer attention

我便開始更加關注

to women's lives in Gaza.

加薩女性的生活。

Because of my gender, I had access

我的性別讓我得以進入

to worlds where my colleagues were forbidden.

我同事被禁止參與的世界。

Beyond the obvious pain and struggle,

在明顯的痛楚與掙扎之下，

there was a healthy dose

是充滿笑聲和富有成就的世界。

of laughter and accomplishments.

In front of a police compound in Gaza City

在加薩的警察駐地前，

during the first war in Gaza,

當時正值第一場戰爭，

an Israeli air raid managed to destroy the compound

以色列空軍突襲不只摧毀了駐地，

and break my nose.

還打斷我的鼻子。

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

有一刻，我眼前所見是一片死白，

like these lights.

就像這裡的燈一樣。

I thought to myself I either got blind

我心想，我不是瞎了，

or I was in heaven.

就是上天堂了。

By the time I managed to open my eyes,

等我可以睜眼時，

I had documented this moment.

我拍下這一幕。

Mohammed Khader, a Palestinian worker

莫哈馬德．哈德是巴勒斯坦工人，

who spent two decades in Israel,

過去二十年在以色列生活。

as his retirement plan,

他的退休計劃就是

he decided to build a four-floor house,

要蓋一棟四層樓的房子，

only by the first field operation at his neighborhood,

不過在該區的第一個實地行動中，

the house was flattened to the ground.

他的房子被夷為平地。

Nothing was left but the pigeons he raised

全部都毀了，只剩他養的鴿子，

and a jacuzzi, a bathtub

以及一個按摩浴缸，

that he got from Tel Aviv.

是他從特拉維夫帶回來的。

Mohammed got the bathtub

莫哈馬德把浴缸

on the top of the rubble

放在碎石瓦片上，

and started giving his kids

讓他的小孩每天早上

an every morning bubble bath.

都可以洗泡泡浴。

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

我的工作並不是要隱藏戰爭的瘡疤，

but to show the full frame

而是要完整展現

加薩人不為人知的故事全貌。

of unseen stories of Gazans.

As a Palestinian female photographer,

身為巴勒斯坦女攝影記者，

the journey of struggle, survival and everyday life

掙扎、倖存和日常生活的旅程

has inspired me to overcome the community taboo

都啟發我去克服社會禁忌，

and see a different side of war and its aftermath.

並看到戰爭的另一面及餘波。

I became a witness with a choice:

我成為了有所選擇的目擊者：

to run away or stand still.

可以逃跑或是站在原地。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）