It is ironic how unaware of the approaching of the November 11 Remembrance Day celebration I have been in the last little while. I do not make a habit out of ignoring the holiday and I always enjoy the special edition programs on the topic of the great achievements of our veterans during the wars that make us so proud of them; but this year so much had been going on that it seems like it almost slipped my mind that we are approaching that important time of the year.
The irony comes from the lesson that life has taught me, in this last little while, about the very nature of war and the suffering of people during such times. Let me explain. This epiphany started to form in my mind with the taking out of the public library of a wonderfully insightful book called “Larry Burrows – Vietnam”, a book about a war photographer and his journey through the Vietnam War. I love reading books such as that, seeing stellar photo journalism at its best and hearing about the thoughts and opinions of the photographer …it can really make my day. While looking through the book I was rejoicing at the fact that I can call myself a Canadian citizen and …unless I choose to… I am not forced to go to a war zone and fear for my life. At the same time, I also concluded that, however, without immersing oneself into such an environment it is very hard to practice war photography.
These thoughts came back to me today, November 11th 2010, Remembrance Day. At 5 AM this morning I was woken up by my phone. It was my friend Lumé; and she was crying. She received a text message from her father. He was in a prison cell, already in for four hours, no food, no water, after a 9+ hour flight. That’s when a light went on in my mind. I realised, I had practised war photography less than 12 hours ago.
Lumé (Fatlume) Begisholli is a young lady in her early twenties. I met her and her sad story a little more than a month ago through my photographer friend Sarah Lisk. Sarah had been a part of Lumé’s hopes to save her family for a while now. Lumé, her father, mother and two brothers arrived on Canadian soil roughly five years ago, having escaped a place where none of us wouldn’t like to be (unless they were a photo journalist with a lot of courage), the battlefields of Kosovo. For the past 5 years they had strived to please the Canadian government’s criteria and be accepted as refugees in the country that so proudly introduces itself as the safe haven of all those who are no longer safe in their country of birth, the persecuted, the mistreated.
Recently Lumé was informed that, having been the only member of her family who received the status of citizen, she would be allowed to stay, while having to watch the rest of her family be sent back into the smoking crater of that war volcano that Kosovo is, any time ready to erupt anew. For a while she had tried every single means of appealing the deportation that she could think of. In fact a week ago I was part of a fund raiser event organised in honour of her family, in order to help them pay their legal fees.
But it was all in vain. Yesterday, Wednesday, November 10th 2010, I was there with Lumé and the Begisholli family at the Toronto Pearson airport, as with tears in their eyes they were forced to say good bye.
But this was not the story I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you how for this family, the horrors of war, featuring insecurity, harassment, disrespect and fear, were not as far as we originally thought; in fact they were not overseas at all. They were right here in our beloved country.
Mr. Begisholli posing for a portrait that I took for his daughter. It would not be easy to say when they would see each other again in person.
Lumé’s little brother
A family portrait. Their greatest reason for joy at that moment was that they were still together and not quite yet apart.
Above: As we arrived at the luggage check-in, the first unfortunate turn of events occurred. The government letter of deportation expressed that they would be able to take with them double the amount of luggage that they are now told they are allowed to. Some of the extra luggage can be paid for, but rearrangements need to be made …unpack, repack, on the spot, quickly! Both Mr and Mrs Begisholli are in tears.
Arjan once again. Always a smile handy even when his parents are in tears.
This is Arjan’s favourite companion. His brother calls it a teddy bear but Arjan insists it is a dog. One has to cope somehow.
Above: At the deportation department, in the airport, after walking through a door that we had to show deportation papers to a hidden camera in order to get in, and taking an elevator from a small room that looked like it was from 1945, we get to a narrow hallway divided by thick glass, where, we wait.
Eventually a rather rude officer looks at, and confiscates Mr Begisholli’s university diplomas along with other documents, carelessly folds them into four and announces that we will receive them at the gate. Of course nobody was there at the gate with the files. Lumé later inquired about the documents; the response was that Mr. Begisholli would get them back once they land on foreign soil. (why?)
Lumé after her family was no longer in sight.
Chapter 2:
After a 9 hour flight, the Begisholli family lands in Warsaw, Poland. The Polish customs officers declare their documents invalid. Treated like criminals, their hand luggage is confiscated and they are placed in locked cells. For 4+ hours they received neither food nor water (keep in mind the two boys are 12 and 14 years old). Mr. Begisholli manages to use the Blackberry phone that his daughter bought him to contact her and share his situation with her. That is about the time when my phone rang last night at 5 AM.
What Now?
Poland is sending the Begisholli family back to Toronto due to their lack of a Shangen visa. The Canadian government is then planing to send them right back on their way via a plane route through Vienna, Austria instead of Warsaw, Poland. If you care, and are willing to exercise the right of freedom to speak up, which we are so proud of having in our free country, then come out tomorrow Friday November 12th to Toronto Pearson airport! The airplane that will carry the Begisholli family is scheduled to arrive there from Poland at ~6PM.
Something NEEDS to be done! Join us in helping them here! Also! Their story will appear in the Waterloo Region Record Newspaper on Friday November 12th. Read their whole story and make the phone call that may save them from having to go into potentially worse conditions!