In sum, half of Syria's population has been displaced, either internally (7.6 million) or into surrounding countries (4 million). The death toll is nearing a quarter million.
I have covered the basic history elsewhere. For this post, I wish to focus on this photo essay that appeared in the Guardian. As someone who follows Middle Eastern affairs, I see countless unpleasant photos of children: in camps or dead in the street or looking into the camera while covered in dirt and blood. It never ends. These photos, however, also registered quite deeply. (I recorded a similar experience in a blog post earlier this year: "Meditation on a photograph," Jan. 2, 2015.)
In this case, the images in the Guardian piece are a bit of good news. They show perseverance under tragic, wretched circumstances. I found them moving, if somewhat emotionally hard to reflect on.
They're positive, yes. But the background is still part of the picture, literally and figuratively. And when US involvement in Syria is taken into account, as it should be—its diplomatic negligence, its aggravation of the conflict via arms provision, its contributions to the emergence of ISIS, and so on—this photography of kids doing martial arts in Zaatari gets harder to look at.
They're positive, yes. But the background is still part of the picture, literally and figuratively. And when US involvement in Syria is taken into account, as it should be—its diplomatic negligence, its aggravation of the conflict via arms provision, its contributions to the emergence of ISIS, and so on—this photography of kids doing martial arts in Zaatari gets harder to look at.
