French-Syrian photographer who covered Mideast conflicts wins knighthood

LONDON: The French-Syrian photojournalist Ammar Abd Rabbo has been awarded a knighthood by France in recognition of his work, including coverage of the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
The Damascus-born photographer’s career has spanned more than 20 years, with his work ranging from portraits of the Syrian President Bashar Assad and the former leader of Libya, Col. Muammar Qaddafi, to his more recent work documenting the day-to-day life of Syrians living in war-torn Aleppo.
His work has appeared in magazines and newspapers including Time, Paris Match and Le Monde.
The award, known as the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, is one of three grades of award given by the French government for contributions to the world of arts and literature.
Speaking to Arab News, Abd Rabbo said he was both “extremely surprised and proud” of being granted the award.
It is an accolade that, he said, not only recognizes the important role photojournalism can play, but also sheds light on people — such as those living in Syria — who are living “in the shadows” and not always “visible enough’” to the world.
While accepting his award, Rabbo also drew attention to the plight of the thousands of refugees, many of whom come from Syria, arriving on the shores of Europe.
He called for France to not perceive immigrants as “invaders,” but rather as people that have a lot to contribute to French society.
“I myself was a refugee when I came to France from Lebanon,” he told Arab News. He lived in Lebanon and Libya before he arrived in France in 1978.
“I had a great chance to be accepted into French schools and to be part of this society.
“Today we see these people on boats as ‘invaders,’ but think also that probably inside those boats there are also the people who are tomorrow’s successes,” he said.
His work in Syria during 2014 features the normal day-to-day
activities of Syrians selling fruit from market stalls or depicting young girls walking through the streets gossiping and eating snacks against the rubble of Aleppo.
It is this attempt at living a “normal” life that interested him.
“We have a tendency in Europe and in the West to look at the wars mainly from the army’s point of view … while in the meantime there are all these amazing people who are trying to live among the chaos, try to go to school, try to send their kids to school,” he said.
“I was really interested in showing this side of the war.”
Rabbo is however not only a war photographer. “I never wanted to be put in one drawer,” he said.
“We are complex people — we are not one block … I don’t want to only be doing wars. I don’t want to only be only on fashion. I like to mix them all. It may not help my career … but this is what I want to do.”
Rabbo continues to pursue a varied career including covering fashion shows and film festivals. He is currently preparing an exhibition on the theme of identity to take place in the second half of the year in Ayyam Gallery in Beirut.
His earlier work, such as the exhibition entitled “Follow the Leader,” which was displayed in 2012, featured a collection of 15 photographers of Arab and international leaders including Assad, as well as the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles.
Looking to the future, Rabbo said while being a photographer will continue to be a struggle in the world of mobile phones and Instagrammers, he hopes there will continue to be a role for the photojournalist.
“Photographers can give meaning to a situation,” he said.
“Many people think if you have a nice camera ... you will have very good photos. It helps ... but it is not photography. Photography is really (about) eye and spirit,” he said.