Tag Archives: Aleppo

Photo Story – Faces of Aleppo

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Faces of Aleppo in Syria – Just of of 4,5 years of occupation hell

January 25, 2017

Unique photos from Eastern Aleppo in Syria when it was finally liberated on December 11-12, 2016.

The people you see here have just come out to freedom from 4,5 years of the occupation by what can be called RIOTs – Rebels-Insurgents-Opposition-Terrorists – mostly the latter.

And most of them with some kind of support by NATO countries.

Western media, politics and humanitarian organisations focus on the victims from Eastern Aleppo who left to RIOT territories elsewhere, such as Idlib, after the liberation – family members and supporters of the occupiers.

That’s not the whole truth about Aleppo.

They conveniently ignore the thousands of other Aleppians: Those who were happy beyond words to see all of Aleppo back under the control of the Syrian government.

These are the people in this photo story. They are among the 13 million Syrians who, according to the UN in Syria, are in need of humanitarian assistance – thanks to U.S. – non-UN – sanctions since 1979 and thanks to the war since 2011.

They too need and deserve the world’s attention and help.All of them and not just the politically chosen few.

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Man in the Jibrin Reception Center in Aleppo © Jan Oberg 2017

Until the immense historical significance of the liberation of Aleppo is understood much better by many more and the biased Western media coverage has changed we will continue to highlight important but hidden dimensions of the conflicts in Syria.

Because peace will be impossible within the present dominant Western narrative and discourse.

And given the incomprehensible suffering of the Syrian people and the destruction of their society since 2011 possibilities for peace – rather than war – should occupy anyone with a human heart.

If you agree, please use the hashtag: #keepfocusonaleppo

* * *

If we do not care about the single individual, can we care about humanity?

My other stories have had quite a lot of texts. You may check them out to get the background and situation.

Here I just want you to see and reflect on how the Allepians I met expressed happiness, despair, hope, kindness but also anger at one and the same time. Pictures can say much more than words, particularly when we contemplate mindfully on what there is to see in every and each face of these victims of what is often called high politics – which often implies low morality.

So, please don’t rush. See and empathize.

© Jan Oberg 2017. Under no circumstance may the photos in this series be reprinted, reproduced or otherwise used without my prior consent.

Photo Story: Aleppo’s evil humanitarians

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Lund, Sweden, January 9, 2017

TFF Photo Story # 3 by Jan Oberg

Unique photos with text from Aleppo’s Jibrin reception center for people finally liberated in Eastern Aleppo December 11-12, 2016.

Documentation of the fact that it was the Syrian authorities, the Syrian Army, Russian doctors, the Syrian Red Crescent and volunteering Syrian youth who took care of these destitute internally displaced people.

In short, the evil guys – the only ones at that – according to most Western media.

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Getting something to eat at the Jibrin centre © Jan Oberg 2017*

No Western humanitarian organisations were seen, neither any leading Western media.

The media have also conveniently stopped writing about Aleppo – beyond doubt a world historic event – and ignored the suffering of the innocent, non-armed victims in this crisis: the largest humanitarian crisis in the world since 1945.

The last article about Aleppo in New York Times is from December 19, about 7-year old Twitter-girl Bana and written by a marketing expert. The level can hardly get lower.

The story of Aleppo cannot be silenced.

TFF’s first two photo reports were seen by close to 70.000 people during the first two weeks.

There are many other eyewitness reports – all on social media, de facto barred from the mainstream media.

The attempt to ignore the historical turning point that Aleppo is and to silence on-the-ground reports will fail.

A larger truth is emerging. The moral and political failure of Western and allies’ policy since 2012 makes the story of Aleppo just too embarrassing, something neither politicians nor governments nor media want to be reminded of.

But 13 million Syrians who are in need of humanitarian help – thanks to non-UN sanctions since 1979 and the war – need a more truthful story.

And they need the world’s attention and help – to all of them and not to the politically chosen few.

 

* No re-printing or re-posting of any photos without prior written permission from the photographer. Write janoberg@mac.com.

Photo Story: Humans in liberated Aleppo

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The second Photo Story from Syria: Unique photos with text from Eastern Aleppo’s liberation, December 11-12, 2016:

Of some of the roughly 100,000 who were finally liberated, of the real humanitarians, the transport between East and Western Aleppo – and of the military, the children, street scenes, a bread queue and the devastation of this once so beautiful, bustling city.

Photos of heart-breaking suffering and sorrow in children’s eyes but also of smiles and hope.

Photos of the fellow human beings who did not fit the general Western political and media narrative since 2011 and therefore got no attention:

– the civilians who suffered for four years from the brutal occupation under Western- and allies-backed terror groups and from the Syrian-Russian military’s defence and liberation of the city.

This is my story.

The photos are genuine, not constructed by a marketing corporation.

This story is about our handling of Syria and its people – yes the lives of 23 million people should be central.

What you see here is the consequences of arms trade, sanctions and ignorant divisions of terribly complex societies into two groups – the good and the evil.

And it is a story about Western de facto support to terrorism since the US started history’s most counterproductive war: the war on terror that has only increased the problem 80 times.

We hate terrorists when they hit us in Europe – understandably.

But we support terrorists when they fight those “we” just don’t like.

Here are some of those – innocent fellow human beings – who pay the price of that cruel way of thinking.

I’m afraid the West has lost it. Are you?

Photo story: The destruction of Eastern Aleppo

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Have just published the first of a series of photo stories from Syria.

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The enigmatic, massive destruction of Aleppo. What political goals did the occupiers have with this utterly meaningless, surreal death and destruction?

You can subscribe to this page for photo stories which ensures that you’ll get an email as soon as they are posted on my Exposure page.

I’d be most grateful if you’d share this link too.

shoot # 59

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Damascus-Beirut, December 19, 2016

Content  

• Welcome to shoot – a gateway to the art world
• Syria – documenting incomprehensible violence and suffering
• New editions, including photo paintings
• GlobalArt Magazine
• Instagram – let’s follow each other!

Jan Oberg – Oberg PhotoGraphics – Click

Dear friend of art photography and other art

Welcome to shoot # 59
The photo above is a digital gift – a moment for reflection – to you from Oberg PhotoGraphics.
Welcome to new recipients. Here is the preceding shoot. 

shoot aims to stimulate art curiosity and share positive stuff. It’s a gateway to the online “flip” GlobalArt Magazine and the blog I write as an art recommender, not an art critic.

shoot wings into your mailbox now and then. Sometimes I shoot just a single image your way. Exclusively for shoot recipients.

I believe in global networking, sharing and in positive energy. Please share with me if you have photo and other art news and views.

Syria
This shoot is very different from what I normally send you. I can hold no Christmas exhibition or send you Christmas offers this year.

I went to Damascus, Syria, as peace and conflict researcher, to do fact-finding, interviews, gathering impressions and think about roads to peace.

As you may know that is the other side of my life. I have just come out, writing to you from Beirut.

I was in Aleppo, bombs falling day and night, when you heard that it was liberated or fell depending on media and perspective. The photo above is from the Jibrin Reception Centre in Western Aleppo where about 100.000 people from Eastern Aleppo get humanitarian assistance by the Syrian government.

They have come out after four years of hell under the occupation of the Western-supported fighters/rebels/opposition/terrorists – again variable terminology.

It’s all extremely complicated. But what is not complicated is to feel deep sympathy with the real victims in every war: the innocent civilians who are always hit by those who speak the language of weapons.

As a peace and conflict researcher having worked in Yugoslavia, Georgia, Abkhazia, Iraq and Burundi, I have never ever seen anything like the destruction of Aleppo.

It’s a wasteland of dozens upon dozens of square kilometres. Endless, systematic destruction of culture, history, mosques, basars, industrial areas etc. Human suffering beyond words. And how many dead?

Look at the footwear of those on this photo. Aleppo will not be rebuilt before these children are 30 or 40. It used to be one of the biggest industrial centres in the Middle East.


Eastern Aleppo, Syria © Jan Oberg 2016


Eastern Aleppo, Syria © Jan Oberg 2016

These photos are unique. I was among the first ten to get there.

I’m no war photographer or reporter. But my work compels me to share a bit of what I have seen. I’m afraid most of us in Europe have been misinformed by media to such an extent that we do not comprehend the death and destruction. I was reminded of images from World War II.

Let me end with this little girl whose eyes and gesture touched me so deeply.

She is the victim of international politics, the weapons of the Syrian side, the terrorist side, the US and NATO side and Russian side. A piece of bread made her feel hope.

When will we ever learn?


Child from Eastern Aleppo, Syria
© Jan Oberg 2016

New editions
Oberg PhotoGraphics’ homepage has become more easy to navigate.
Several new works uploaded before I left, see Recent Editions.

GlobalArt Magazine
Inspiration guaranteed – quality works, articles and video.
Selected by Oberg PhotoGraphics for the searching and discerning art soul.
At one place. At your fingertips!

Instagram – let’s follow each other!
On Instagram – @obergphotographics is now a business account. Great diversity and a new photo almost every day, can be spontaneous but always carefully processed. Let’s follow each other! 

Until next: Remember
– that it is the arts more than anything else that keep us human and, given the state of the world right now, therefore more needed than ever.

And during the coming holidays I try to understand what Aleppo is and what it will mean in world history. In the best of cases we may see yet another example of that enigmatic human will to survive and move on.

Time will tell.

My best – and Merry Christmas to those among my recipients who celebrate Christmas
Jan Oberg