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FACES OF AFGHANISTAN :: A photo essay by Grant Somers The past 20+ years have brought little but pain and misery to the Afghan people. If a series of relentless wars and a ruthless regime weren’t enough, a devastating drought is starving millions. Despite their incredible hardships, the human spirit has prevailed. Life continues and dignity is their greatest asset.
Grant Somers is an Australian photographer who had been working for Médecins Sans Frontières in Afghanistan for 6 months prior to the September 11 tragedy. He was amongst the last foreigners to work in Afghanistan while it was under the Taliban regime. The people in this photo essay are not well known, they are not famous or leaders of their communities. But they are extraordinary, in their perseverance and their immeasurable ability to live their lives with dignity under extremely difficult circumstances. Photography was banned under the Taliban - photos and pictures of living creatures were considered a form of idolatry and deemed illegal by the fundamentalist clerics - but that wasn’t a view shared by the general public or the subjects in these photos, despite the potential dangers associated with having their pictures taken (especially by a foreigner). As a photographer, he risked, at the least, losing his equipment and film. They, however, risked their health and freedom, something makes their stories even more extraordinary.
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