Valley of al-Ahjur, March 1979; Photo by Daniel Martin Varisco
Category Archives: Photography
Picturing Yemen #2
Sa’da suq, May 1978; Photo by Daniel Martin Varisco
Picturing Yemen #1
Sa’da, May, 1978; Photo by Daniel Martin Varisco
With this post I start a new theme for Tabsir: my photographs taken in Yemen since my initial fieldwork in 1978 in the springfed irrigated valley of al-Ahjur. As Yemen is currently embroiled in political turmoil, it is easy to lose sight of the marvelous scenery and cultural heritage of this land. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but for most of these pictures few words are needed.
Revolution in Their Eyes: Activist Photography from Yemen’s Revolution
Revolution in Their Eyes: Activist Photography from Yemen’s Revolution
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Opening Friday, January 27, 2012, 6.30 to 8.30 pm
The images in this show are the work of several activist-photographers. They provide a glimpse of the reality—both brutal and beautiful—of daily life inside Change Square, the heart of the revolution in Yemen’s capital, San’a.
The Revolution
Since February 2011, hundreds of thousands of citizens from every walk of life have taken to the streets of Yemen’s cities and towns to demand the ouster of President ‘Ali ‘Abdullah Saleh’s regime, which has ruled the country for 33 years. In spite of violent repression, the revolutionaries have pledged to persevere until Yemen is free.
The Yemen Peace Project
Founded in early 2010, the Yemen Peace Project is an international network of activists and scholars whose mission is to develop and promote peaceful solutions to the challenges faced by the people of Yemen. It provides up-to-date, accurate information about events in Yemen, and is a conduit to Yemeni activists so their voices are heard in the U.S. The Yemen Peace Project has also launched a series of fundraising campaigns to support medical and humanitarian efforts among Yemen’s most vulnerable citizens.
Cosponsored by the Yemen Peace Project
Opening Friday, January 27, 2012, 6.30 to 8.30 pm
Room 6304.24 (MEMEAC space)
Photos will be on view until June 2012
Cool as a Camel
How the camel kept its cool: Dromedary in the desert finds shade under rare tree that does the job of a parasol
By Chris Parsons, Daily Mail, January 4. 2012
When the temperature soars around the sweltering 40C mark, you’ll take anywhere as respite from the scorching rays no matter how unusual it looks.
This camel sought refuge in the baking heat on the Island of Soqotra in Yemen by sheltering in the shade under an unusual tree which looks like a giant mushroom. Continue reading Cool as a Camel
Museum of Syrian History
For those interested int he history and culture of Syria, there is an online archive available at http://www.syrianhistory.com/ The site has links to old photographs, film footage, music excerpts and more.
A Buick in Kabul
One of the most famous round-the-world journalists of the last century (or any century) was Lowell Thomas, most known for his blockbuster show on “Lawrence of Arabia.” In 1922 Thomas traveled to Afghanistan and visited the Emir Amanullah. A digital archive of 73 photographs from that trip is available online at Harvard University. Here are pictures of Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan from 90 years ago. Several of the photographs show the American Buick that Thomas drove for his visit. If you happen to be old car buff and interested in Afghanistan, this will be a visual feast.
The Islamic World’s Nude Spring
Aliaa Mahdy
by Joseph Mayton, bikyamasr, December 6, 2011
Egypt’s revolution has stalled. Islamists have taken the lion’s share of the first round of voting. In Tunisia and Morocco, large gains by the Islamists have seen women begin to question their future in conservative societies. Aliaa Mahdy changed the global perspective on how women are viewed in the Arab world, when she posted in November a full-frontal nude photo of herself on her blog.
The posting of her naked body left Egyptians and Arabs angry. Hate and condemnation quickly followed. Ironically, despite all the hatred purported in her direction, millions of people logged onto her blog to see her picture, with even lewd comments being posted.
For Mahdy, it was a symbolic protest against the status of women in Egypt and across the Arab world. She said enough to the centuries of male-domination meted out to women in the country and the region. It was the beginning of the Islamic world’s “Nude Spring†and launched a debate over women’s rights, or rather, “what is appropriate for women.†Continue reading The Islamic World’s Nude Spring