avatarFrancesco Carrubba

Summary

A Syrian refugee family, including Munzir El Nezzel, his son Mustafa, and other members, arrives in Italy to begin a new life, supported by funds raised through the impact of a symbolic photograph taken by Turkish photographer Mehmet Aslan.

Abstract

The El Nezzel family, Syrian refugees who were the subject of a powerful and widely circulated photograph by Mehmet Aslan, have relocated to Italy. The father, Munzir, and his son, Mustafa, who was born without limbs, were depicted in an image that highlighted both the horrors of war and the resilience of the human spirit. This image, which won the Siena International Photo Awards, prompted a fundraising campaign that collected over 100 thousand euros to aid the family and other victims of the Syrian conflict. The family, including Munzir's mother Zeynep and his two daughters Nur and Sacide, will now reside in Siena and receive treatment at the Vigorso prosthesis center in Budrio. The photograph serves as a testament to the enduring influence of photography in an era saturated with disposable digital content.

Opinions

  • The photograph of Munzir and Mustafa is seen as a symbol of the Syrian war's impact and the capacity for joy amidst adversity.
  • The Siena International Photo Awards and its slogan "Can a picture make a difference?" suggest a strong belief in the power of photography to effect change.
  • The fundraising efforts initiated by the Festival demonstrate a collective opinion that visual art can inspire tangible humanitarian action.
  • The narrative around the family's arrival in Italy and their hopes for Mustafa's future reflect a sentiment of optimism and the potential for positive outcomes in the face of tragedy.

From the symbolic photo to the happy ending in Italy: a story of war and smiles

Dad and son, Syrian refugees immortalized in Turkey, arrive today with the whole family to live in Siena and be treated in Budrio. An image can change your life

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

Taken in Turkey, it has become a symbolic photo of the war in Syria: father Munzir raises little Mustafa in the air, they look at each other and laugh in the courtyard of a ramshackle building. The father lost a leg to a bomb, the child was born without the limbs: the image, of an almost disturbing beauty, makes you think and smile at the same time.

From Istanbul, the destination of their journey to escape the Syrian conflict, today they arrive in Italy to start a new existence: they will be treated at the Vigorso prosthesis center in Budrio (Bologna) and will live in Siena, now welcomed in a Caritas house. The dream is that one day the baby will be able to walk.

The “Hardship of Life” image, created by the Turkish photographer Mehmet Aslan in April 2021, went around the world: it was the overall winner of the Siena International Photo Awards, chosen from among the works of authors from 163 countries. Then the Festival itself launched a fundraiser to help father and son and the innocent victims of the conflict in Syria: in this way, over 100 thousand euros were raised.

Now Italy welcomes the entire Syrian refugee family: Munzir El Nezzel, his 5-year-old son Mustafa, his mother Zeynep, and his two daughters Nur and Sacide. Years ago Munzir and his pregnant wife were in a market in Idlib at the moment when a bomb exploded: the device mutilated the man, leaving him without his right leg, and damaged the fetus through nerve gas, causing the malformations that Mustafa has from the moment of birth.

The history of shooting testifies to the power of photography, still alive today despite the constant bombardment of disposable digital content and even though today a mobile phone is enough to capture every moment of a day in any corner of the globe. The slogan of the Siena International Photo Awards for 2021 was “Can a picture make a difference?”: today we can say that the answer is certainly yes.

Artist
Photography
Syrian Refugees
Syrian War
Photography Tips
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