Afghanistan: A Photo Essay
Photographs by Thomas Lee, Northwestern University
Monday September 11, 2006
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, led to U.S. and allied military action in Afghanistan, Americans have been seeking to secure a country in need of safety, reconstruction, and a stable government. Life in Afghanistan remains difficult, and the U.S. and allied presence there still draws resistance, such as the suicide bombing near the U.S. embassy on Friday. Our news media are soaked with images of flames, terror, and tragedy. As we remember the innocent people killed by terrorists five years ago in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, we also remember the suffering of people in Afghanistan, who live every day in a land scarred by war.
Thomas Lee, a recent graduate of Northwestern University, made these photographs on a trip to document the work of a U.S.- based nonprofit organization that supports poor Afghan women and families by connecting their work as rug weavers to consumers in the United States, and by providing them with basic services such as health care. This year, Lee was named Nonprofessional Photographer of the Year in the Editorial category in the International Photography Awards. His account of the trip to Afghanistan is below. –Campus Progress
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Tom: This is from Sue at Arzu. All I can say is that your are the BOMB! Thanks for your amazing and continuing support. Keep up the excellent work. We need all the help we can get! Sue
— Sue Christian - Sep 12, 12:23 PM - #Great Job Tom! You have truly been a huge asset to Arzu!
— Suzi Denovich - Sep 12, 03:21 PM - #What a stunning photo essay! You really deserve that award. Thanks so much for sharing this story with the world.
— Louisa McMurray - Sep 12, 04:31 PM - #Wow, I have to agree that these are stunning pictures. Really moving.
— Maria Liebermann - Sep 15, 02:03 PM - #Thomas, your work is truely amazing. Thank you for connecting your talent to such a worthy cause and sharing it with the world.
— Briana Perry - Sep 26, 07:55 PM - #Great photos. I want to take pictures in Afghanistan someday, as well.
— Harrison Trent - Oct 25, 02:50 PM - #I always love the way your photographs are so colourful and filled with motion, especially with subjects usually portrayed as bleak.
— Alixianna (from Uganda) - Nov 3, 12:51 PM - #