Freedom for Mohsen
Becky Field | NH, United States
Organization: FieldWork Photos
Photographer: Becky Field
Organization: FieldWork Photos
Exhibit Title: Freedom for Mohsen
Location: NH, United States
Mohsen Mahdawi has a green card. Last April he took the next legal step: to go for his citizenship test at the federal building in Burlington, VT.
Mahdawi was born in Palestine. His childhood was rife with violence, but he made it to Columbia University where he spoke out against war. For that free speech, Mahdawi was kidnapped and jailed on April 14 by masked ICE agents when he went for his citizenship test. Two court hearings followed, first to keep him in a jail in Vermont instead of Louisiana, and then to determine if he would be “freed” on bail.
A large supportive community rallied at the hearings; I photographed both events. During the loud protests, a Buddhist community, that Mahdawi had joined, sat in silent meditation and walked peacefully around an adjacent church.
Madhawi was jailed in Vermont and ultimately “freed” on bail. A long legal road is ahead, but there was serenity in his face as he emerged from the courthouse after the last hearing. He proclaimed to President Trump: “I’m not afraid of you.”
Since 2012, Becky Field has documented the lives of immigrants in New Hampshire through her photography project, "Different Roots, Common Dreams: New Hampshire’s Cultural Diversity." Her work illustrates that, while we have different cultural backgrounds, we all have the same dreams for safe homes, a good future for our children, and freedom to practice our traditions.
Recently, with the heated attention on immigrants, Becky has focused on public protests and the struggles of asylum seekers threatened with deportation. The work presented here documented protests in support of Columbia University grad student, Mohsen Mahdawi.
Becky has published two award-winning books of her photographs and stories by immigrants’of resettling in New Hampshire. She shows her work in exhibits and talks. Becky has a certificate in photography from the NH Institute of Art and has studied photography throughout the Northeast. In past work. she was an ecologist and university professor. She lives in Concord, NH.
I gratefully acknowledge the generous support from the NH State Council on the Arts. Also groups that have hosted my events have provided support through my speaker and exhibit fees.
n/a
Becky Field, Photographer
FieldWork Photos
12 Liberty Street, Concord NH 03301
PH: 603-568-3174
EMAIL: FieldWorkPhotos@gmail.com
WESBTE: DifferentRootsNH.com
Make Comment/View Comments
