Finding refuge: Fazal Sheikh's three projects

Afterimage, May-June, 2004 by Kristen Miller

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Ramadan Moon tells the story of one Somali woman, Seynab Azir Wardeere. She begins her tale with her childhood, her marriage, and the birth of her children and continues with memories of violence, looting and loss. After losing her parents in a raid on her village, Seynab and her husband trade all of their belongings for passage to a foreign land called Denmark. Alas, their family did not have enough money for all of them to make the far journey. Seynab took her son, while her husband and daughters traveled to Baidoa. On the way to Denmark, Seynab's papers and passport were taken in Holland and she and her son were brought to the Asylum Seekers Center--a place they have not left. Seynab and the other refugees in Holland, find comfort for their daily lives through Ramadan, the sacred month of fasting and purification for Muslims. The documented Somali population in Holland in 2001 (not including children under 12) still remains at 30.000 refugees.

A Victor Weeps traces the border between northern Pakistan (where Sheikh's grandfather was born) and Afghanistan. This land has been rife with conflict for the past twenty years. Soviet occupation and then a civil war forced many to seek comfort in refugee camps away from their homeland, but still not far from daily battles with abuse, malnutrition and the psychological effects of a scattered family. Sheikh is drawn to their intricate stories, their paradoxical religion that both comforts and creates continual battles for them and the shadows of hope in their faces.

The Victor Weeps is presented as not only a book format, but as a multi-media DVD as well. The DVD format will allow those who do not have access to his exhibitions and books to see his vision and the struggle of the Somali people. The video starts slowly, while silvery black and white photographs blend in and out of the frame. In this piece in particular, Sheikh demonstrates his ability to present his material with a subtle voice. His way of imaging is anything but confrontational, political or straight documentation. While looking for answers, Sheikh has been thrust into a land settled by Afghan refugees. He is drawn to the older men who have seen many cycles of horror in their lives, yet still exhibit the pursuit of a persistent sense of self and spirit. As the photographs dance across the screen, the men's faces and soft voices tell of fighting in the jihad against the Soviets, being captured by the Taliban, this mixed with long segments of silence. The silence acts as a pause to reflect upon the lack of consistent policies and the intrusion of ideas upon a people for decades.

As the video continues, so do stories seeped in sadness. The piece is reminiscent of the spiritual photographs of the 19th century--messages of sorrow and faith prevail. We hear story after story of young men who started out hopeful and now are tired, wrinkled and old. They speak of fighting against communist troops, fleeing to the mountains, killing, being captured, wounded and fearful. But their hope remains; they share childhood memories and still tell their dreams. Sheikh then presents a series of photographs of weathered hands, holding small Polarold-like photographs of their lost loved ones. Repeatedly we see these loaded images of those who "remain in the dreams of the living." Each story speaks of the power of the dream. Immersed in strong visual imagery, the refugees fill their dreams with significant lost elements of their lives. It is as if they would rather live with their eyes closed, for the terrors of everyday life are less appealing than dreaming of their lost loved ones.