July 19, 2008 Osama Community Center

Iraqi, Palestinian, Jordanian women learning English at the Osama Community Center in Amman, Jordan.

Iraqi children playing at the Osama Community Center in Amman, Jordan

Today I went to the Osama Community Center (OCC) in the Al Muhata'ah refugee camp near the Ragadan bus station in Amman. Here I met volunteers from Taiwan, England and Germany teaching English to Iraqis, Palestinians and Jordanians. The Osama Community Center is sponsored by World Vision and is run by a British woman married to an Iraqi priest and Mr. Osama, the sheriff as he refers to himself with a great huge smile, leasing the building.

It’s now the summer session with limited classes: Monday to Thursday 9-12pm childrens’ classes, Sunday and Thursday night 6-8pm adults classes. In the adult classes I saw only women, it was explained that in the summer the men are too tired to come to class after working menial jobs in 39 degrees heat! I can’t say as I blame them! I found that all rooms were full of motivated students using their time to learn as much English as possible so they will be ready for life in America, Canada, or Australia. I offered my services but unfortunately there were no new classes and summer school finishes at the end of July, so instead I helped out by buying a new white board and markers.

What I liked best about the Osama Community Center is that it offers classes to all nationalities favoring no particular ethic group, gender, age, or religion. Christian, Muslim, Iraqi, Palestinian, Jordanian are all able to study for free. Drawing from my previous experience in the Middle East I find this absolutely necessary because giving preferences could lead to problems within the camp and draw negative attention from the Jordanian government. Most of the teachers and administration are Christian and affiliated with the Al Nami Church which is located nearby. The Al Nami Church is run by Iraqi Christians, mostly Assyrian and Chaldean. LINK Mr Osama invited me to attend the Sunday service and I have decided to attend.

July 18 Al Muhata'ah Refugee Camp

A view of a window in Al Muhat'ah refugee camp, just a 10 minute taxi ride from the center of Amman, Jordan.

Assan and his wife joking as they show their UNHCR registration papers.

I arrived in Amman the 14th of July and after much acclimatization and fact-finding I decided it was time to meet the Iraqi refugees. Mohammed, a police and security officer who I met at the Taj hotel, came as my translator. We went to the Al Muhata'ah Refugee Camp, a 10-minute taxi ride from the center of the old city of Amman. Originally a Palestinian refugee camp it now houses several hundred Iraqi refugees. The camp is similar to those in the West Bank, cramped living quarters, narrow winding streets, over populated, poor and unkempt, yet because its been home to refugees for more than 40 years there is a cross section of dilapidated and prosperous housing. The feeling I got from the Palestinians I met was that most everyone gets along and the Iraqis have been welcomed into the camp.

We went to the home of Assan Hamudi, a 23 years old Shia Iraqi refugee from Al Karmia, ( the district of Bagdad where Saddam Hussein was executed.) and his 18 year old Sunni wife Rusel Adan. They met in Amman and have been married for one year. Assan looks at his wife with a smile and tell me, “see Sunni and Shia can get along.”

Assan has been a refugee in Jordan for 4 years and Rusel for 9. Assan nonchalantly tells me of how he joined the Mehdi army when he was 19 but left after only 2 months because he was scared and appalled at the killing and destruction. He was scared of the Al Madi army, Al Qaeda, the Sunnis the Shias the Americans of everyone. He saw over 400 dead in the aftermath of the bombing of the Ashara Mosque. Then a couple months later his uncle who worked for the Americans was kidnapped by unknown terrorists and cut into pieces. It was the fear of insecurity and horror of the situation in Iraq that made Assan leave Baghdad for Amman.

Assan and Rusel are both registered with the UNHCR as refugees but have no residency or working visa. King Abdullah recognizes the plight of the refugees and at first allowed Iraqis to cross the border as guests. But due to the shear amount coming (up to 750,000 last year) the border is now closed. In January of 2008 King Abdullah granted a limited immunity for Iraqis who had overstayed their “guest” visa. He made into law that if they wanted to stay they had to register with the UNHCR and get a guest visa. If they could not pay, they would be given a period of a month to do so. Many have tried this but were not accepted and left for Syrai. In Jordan if any Iraqi is caught working they will be arrested and immediately deported to Iraq. Rusel told me about her mother who worked illegally in a sewing factory to support her family. Her mother was caught one year ago and deported to Iraq. Her father is still in Jordan.

“I am just happy to be alive, its better to stay here and be safe, no mujahdeen. Fear of kidnapping is very real, and it’s not just the terrorists it’s criminals. It’s Shia, it’s Sunni it’s everyone and everywhere, you never know when you leave your home if you will come back. Okay I have little hope and wait daily to immigrate anywhere but at least I am safe and my wife is safe and we can go and meet friends and talk,’ says Assan with his beautiful young wife smiling at his side.
As I was leaving the Hamudi home, Diad, a friend of Assans came for a visit. Diad told me a bit of his story. Diad escaped Iraqi 1 year ago with his younger brother. His mother was killed when heavily armed masked criminals entered a bus, stole the passengers’ money then shot everyone. Some of the passengers survived but his mother did not. Roughly 1 year later his father left their apartment one morning and never returned. Diad visibly shaken told me he doesn’t know if his father is alive or dead, his body was never found, and he was never heard from again.

Diad

Diad is also registered with the UNHCR and like all other Iraqis waits for the phone call either asking him to come for his interview or telling him he has been given asylum. Unfortunately, Diad is risking deportation and separation from his younger brother by working odd jobs. Diad tells me he has to, he has no option, he only gets a few Jordanian Dinar from the UNHCR, its not enough to pay his rent or food for his brother or himself. His biggest fear now is that he will be separated from his younger brother either by deportation or if both of them are not sponsored together by immigration. “I can’t go without my brother,” he says, “he is the only family I have left.”

July 17 walking around the old city of Amman

In Amman finally, walking tour the first day, went to the area where they sell Nargillas. The variety is amazing, the owner of the shop personally gave me a lesson in which Nargillas come from which country.

Sitting on the street with Iraqi sellers the bus came by and I snapped this photo.

Got hungry for fallafal, at first these guys were reluctant to have their photo taken, but later agreed. The fallafal was first rate!

Needing a break and seeing no women in any of the street coffee shops I finally found this cafe on the top of a roof next to Al Hussain Mosque in the old city of Amman, Jordan. Here gathered men to have a quiet nargilla and game of cards.

Photo Workshop "Hidden In Plain Sight"

Alison has a remarkable Eye for Lines and Composition. During the hectic and crowded Dragon Boat Festival Alison took a break, looked up and got the right time! Who would have thought that a clock and bridge could be so captivating! BRAVO Alison!

Cathy captured this photo at the Chang Kai Shek burial site in Dashi. With her background in graphics and long term stay in Taiwan, Cathy was able to get a photo that is the essence of traditional Chinese painting. Despite using a new camera, one she was unfamiliar with, Cathy did a fantastic and compelling job! BRAVO CATHY!

Rae is now the happy owner of my Canon 20D which she bought to take photos on her upcoming trip to Cambodia! This was her absolute first time taking photography seriously. She excelled in all my expectations! Rae was able to look threw the lens creatively, using the manual mode on her new SLR. Here she captured a mysterious and captivating shot of the surroundings of the Chang Kai Shek burial site. BRAVO RAE, am looking forward to your work in Cambodia!

As promised the "Hidden In Plain Sight" photo workshop taught by Kloie Picot to those who won the workshop raffle from the events in Chung Li and Taipei was held on June 8th. Unfortunately, from the 14 tickets pulled only 3 students were able to attend. The students were, Alison Doyle, Cathy Wilson,(who came all the way from Taichung) and Rae Keili. Their dedication and passion on Sunday was remarkable! We all worked hard from 9am to 10pm. It was hot and humid (to say the least) we went to the Dragon Boat Festival, and to the Chang Kai Shek burial site, here in Long Tan. I am proud of my new students, and even prouder that they took their Sunday to achieve remarkable advancement in their photo taking ability!!!! The students got great shots and I have chosen 1 from each to show here on the blog. I will be holding several other workshops in the coming months, choosing one photo per participant and organizing an exhibition.

Hidden In Plain Sight at BLISS in Taipei, Taiwan May 25th

We will be hanging the "silent auction" photos for the "Hidden In Plain Sight" Benefit for Iraqi and Palestinian refugee, event and exhibition on May 18th at Bliss. Only 1 photo can be sold per show which will be up until May 31st when we will be announcing the top bidders. Looking forward to seeing you and come by as many times as you like to choose your favorite photo.
Kloie

Hidden In Plain Sight at BLISS in Taipei, Taiwan May 25th

Photos by Tewfic El-Sawy

I am pleased to announce that we are holding our 2nd event and photo exhibition benefit for Iraqi and Palestinian Refugees at Bliss in Taipei on May 25th.

Tewfic El-Sawy a freelance photographer who specializes in documenting endangered cultures and traditional life ways of Asia, Latin America and Africa has contributed 6 photos to Hidden In Plain Sight.

Tewfic El-Sawy images,
articles and photo features have been published in various magazines, and featured by
some of the largest adventure travel companies in the United States and Great Britain.
He's passionate about documentary-travel photography and frequently produces his work in
the form of multimedia stories, merging still photography and ambient sound (generally
recorded live while photographing), and musical soundtracks.

His interest in photographing cultural ceremonies and tribal rituals has resulted in
documentary coverage of the Maha Kumbh Mela & Pushkar Camel Fair of India; the
2,000-year-old performance-ritual of Theyyam in Kerala; Timket festivals in Ethiopia;
Hindu festivals in Bali, the ritualistic dances of the Advisasis of Chhattisgarh, the
Tantric-based dances of Bhutan and the violent exorcisms practiced in various Sufi
shrines of India. He also organizes and leads photo-expeditions to South and South East
Asia.

Please visit Tewfics website and blogs:
http://www.tesimages.com/
http://thetravelphotographer.blogspot.com/

WITNESS TO CONFLICT

I am pleased to announce a new photo exhibition featuring amongst others Palestinian Photojournalists from the Occupied West Bank at the National Taiwan University from May 5-13. The exhibit is separate from Hidden In Plain Sight "Benefit for Iraqi and Palestinian Refugees." Also please note that on Sunday May 25th the benefit and event will take place at BLISS in Taipei. More updates on that in a week.