Hamde Abu Rahma

Hamde Abu Rahma, award-winning Palestinian photojournalist and activist: I was born and raised near Ramallah, in the picturesque village of Bil’in, a village that has been at the forefront of nonviolent resistance.

The untimely death of my cousin inspired me to document and share the struggles of daily life in Palestine. My most recent project, Roots Run Deep: Life in Occupied Palestine, is a photographic journal with commentary of life under the inhumane and relentless military occupation of Palestine.

Although my fellow journalists and I are frequently attacked and harassed by the Israeli army, I carry on in order to expose the rest of the world to the suffering, resilience and hope of the Palestinian people that we don’t see in the media. I photograph Palestinians in their everyday life throughout the West Bank, contrasting their nonviolent resistance against the aggressive domination of Israeli occupation and apartheid that has lasted over six decades. Despite enduring daily myriad injustices, such as the illegal separation wall and land confiscation, unwarranted arrests, and dehumanizing checkpoints, Palestinians continue their nonviolent resistance with dignity and perseverance.