Finding refuge: Fazal Sheikh's three projects

Afterimage, May-June, 2004 by Kristen Miller

The last half of the video, A Victor Weeps presents an Afghan woman's story. She personally gave Sheikh a letter entitled, "Our Plight," regarding the treatment of Afghan women. She says, "history has told us that a bright future is nothing but a mirage for Afghan women ... the reality is tears, chained hands and silent mouths. "She tells how women are not recognized as individuals and that young girls are still sold like cattle. Those who have guns have the power in this war-torn region, and they use this power to rape, kill and threaten the standard of living in Afghan women's lives. She tells how despite their long-standing faith in Allah, their society has been so fractured by war and power, that they can no longer imagine anything else. Their children are born in exile, where the scope of their mother's vision becomes narrower in order to sustain living.

With A Camel for the Son Ramadan Moon, and A Victor Weeps, Sheikh proves himself a socially conscious photographer. These projects speak of contemporary issues, and are presented in an array of means through exhibitions, book format and DVD so as to bring awareness to a region rife with conflict. The books create a successful and compelling body of work to be presented to a global audience. For the sake of the contemporary photographic world and through the support of the Volkart Foundation and the International Humanitarian Fund, Fazal Sheikh should continue to be supported and recognized for his in depth work with refugees.