Syria’s Forgotten Simon Etnan is a Norwegian London-

based freelance-photographer with a BA

honors degree in Digital and Lens Media,
Exposition of subjects of forgotten identity within Syria’s multi-faith, specializing in documentary and
multi-ethnic population. photojournalism.
Project Overview He studied at the Norwegian School of
Creative Studies, then moved to the
Syria’s Christians are a rarely acknowledged minority. When they are University of Hertfordshire, where he was
covered in the press, they are often misrepresented. Recent media offered a position as a visiting lecturer
coverage on the country’s Christians is strongly polarised: either they shortly after graduation.
are understood as victims of security threats and state persecution like
Christians elsewhere in the Middle East, or a utopian image is painted of One of his previous projects covered life as
a protective haven. a fisherman in the North of Norway. Simon
lived and worked closely with the
From our own experiences in Syria, we believe such analyses to be fishermen and portrayed their challenges
superficial and misleading. and hardships as they spent months at a
We would like, with this project, to share and re-live the journeys and time away from their home and families.
The project was exhibited at the
encounters that brought us towards better and fuller understanding of
Association of Photographers in London.
the reality of life for many of Syria’s Christians.
Simon is currently working as a freelance
Project Brief To achieve the goals highlighted above, we propose a photographer. He is exhibiting at the St.
two-part project structure: Albans Refectory Gallery and has recently
Moving out - Moving in completed an internship with Magnum
Photos in London.
Moving Out www.simonetnan.no

While the traditional Christian communities of Syria may not be victims Ann Jeanette is a scholar of Syrian
of external threats, Church leaders nonetheless fear for the future of theology, history and languages (classical
their congregations. We intend to explore the pull and push factors that Syriac, Greek and Amaraic). She has been
support Christian migration away from the Syrian homeland. Diminishing studying Church History at both the Lund
numbers are often explained by the economic and personal University in Sweden and the Norwegian
development opportunities abroad, but far less often is proper School of Theology.
consideration given to the psychological challenges of existing as a
minority, with the constant pressures to preserve identity at all costs. During her studies Ann Jeanette won a
scholarship to spend a sabbatical year with
the Syrian Orthodox Church in Aleppo.
We will communicate the stories of those considering leaving and those
Hosted by Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim,
left behind in order see what remains of their faith and tradition. she became acquainted with the most
respected religious figures in the country,
Moving In participated in Christian/Muslim dialogue
and presented research on the history of
Our proposed project would go on to examine the overlap the Syrian Orthodox Church.
between the traditional Christian communities of Syria and those
Christians newly arriving from Iraq as part of the wider refugee diaspora. Ann Jeanette has also supported the Sister
As Iraqi refugees reside in Syrian towns (as opposed to refugee camps), Hatun Foundation through its projects to
the degree of integration and acceptance strongly depends upon the assist Iraqi refugees.
attitude of local host communities. Indeed, collaboration with community
actors is implicit to UNHCR’s assistance operations. In light of this, our Thomas McGee studied French and
project will evaluate the liberating possibilities for refugees to chose their German at Cambridge University. Since
residential community against the potential isolation of being distanced graduating, he has lived in Syria where he
from a more concentrated ‘refugee community’. has studied Arabic, interned with the UN
and worked as a cultural researcher.
References
He is particularly interested in Middle
Forgotten Faithful, National Geographic, June 2009 – Don Belt, Ed
Eastern refugee identity and problems of
Kashi
integration. Thomas has simultaneously
Christianity’s place in the Middle East, Guardian, 11 November 2010 – been working as a freelance journalist,
Chris Phillips publishing both in the Middle East and
The Alexandria Bombing: Could it Happen in Syria? Huffington Post, 7 Britain, including for the New Statesman.
January 2011 – Sami Moubayed
Village of Nebek, Deir Mar Musa el-Habashi monastery, Magnum Having worked on drafting a UN human
Photographer, 2005 – Gueorgui Pinkhassov rights submission and a speech delivered
Exodus: The changing map of the Middle East, Independent, 26 October to the UK Houses of Parliament, Thomas
2010 – Robert Fisk is currently preparing a study of the Iraqi
refugee youth in urban Syria for UNHCR
Non-financial sponsors and hopes to study for a Masters next
Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim, Metropolitan of Aleppo Archdiocese, year.
Syrian Orthodox Archbishopric.