The Travel Photographer: POV: Reuters Blog: f8 & Be There
Written by duckrabbitProbably my favorite blog in the world is THE TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER. No regular readers of that blog, or this one, needs any explanation why.
Today I’m taking a total liberty and lifting completely a post over at The Travel Photographer. Why? Because it’s important stuff and unfortunately you can’t leave comments on The Travel Photographer, but you can here.
Over to you Tewfic:
Photo © Zainal AbdHalim/Reuters-All Rights Reserved
Reuters Photographers Blog has a post on a Muslim woman who is scheduled to be caned next week in Malaysia for committing the offence of drinking beer in public. Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno will be the first Malaysian (other news outlets report that she’s from Singapore) woman to be caned under Islamic laws (Sharia’) applicable to Malaysia’s Muslims, who account for about 60% of its population, and is fueling a furious debate over tolerance in this multi-racial country.
Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno has asked that the punishment be carried out in public in an attempt to shame the Malaysian authorities, and Reuters is asking photographers to let them know how they would go about photographing this punishment. Reuters editors and photographers in Malaysia will have to make these decisions next week.
If I were to photograph this shameful event, I would focus my lenses on the faces of those who are carrying out the sentence. The policemen, the guards, those who represent the Sharia’ authorities, every single person (presumably they’ll all be men) in that room…and record their facial expressions and posture while Kartika is being submitted to this atrocity. Although I’ve read that the caning itself is expected to be “light” and just symbolic, it’s also symbolic of a backward thought process that needs to be exposed and shamed. And let us be clear…this is not Malaysian secular law, but Sharia’ law that decreed the punishment.
If God is “angry” at Kartika because she drank a couple of beers, let God “punish” her…not some hypocritical Malaysian imams who interpret Islam according to their whims. Justice and compassion are central pillars of Islam, and neither the Qur’an nor the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad prescribes any form of punishment for drinking alcohol.
DUCKRABBIT READERS, YOUR THOUGHTS PLEASE?
LI-LU Porter:
If I were to photograph this event, I would focus my lenses on the faces of those who are watching this event because they are part of the system in which this type of punishment was tolerated, or even supported. As long as this bigger system is not at the boiling point and ready to change, this kind of terror will continue. I would want my images to be a mirror and bear witness of this shameful event.
CIARA:
Yep I’m with you Li. definitely on the sick b*****ds who turn out to watch
Author — duckrabbit
duckrabbit is a production company formed by radio producer/journalist Benjamin Chesterton and photographer David White. We specialize in digital storytelling.
Discussion (3 Comments)
If I were to photograph this event, I would focus my lenses on the faces of those who are watching this event because they are part of the system in which this type of punishment was tolerated, or even supported. As long as this bigger system is not at the boiling point and ready to change, this kind of terror will continue. I would want my images to be a mirror and bear witness of this shameful event.
yep I’m with you Li. definitely on the sick b*****ds who turn out to watch