Syrian Child Raises Her Hands in 'Surrender'—to a Camera

Monica Sanchez | March 31, 2015
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A photo depicting a young Syrian refugee raising her hands in surrender to a camera offers the world perspective, if just through the palpable fear in her eyes.  

A young and undeserving witness to the conflict terrorizing her home country, four-year-old Hudea mistook the large camera lens pointing directly at her for a weapon. Based on what her adolescent eyes have seen, Hudea simply followed her gut instinct and "surrendered."

Posted by photojournalist Nadia Abu Shaban last week on Twitter, the photo quickly spread across social media, captivating the hearts and minds of many.  


The Turkish photographer who captured the photo, Osman Sağırlı, told BBC,

"I was using a telephoto lens, and she thought it was a weapon." 

"I realized she was terrified after I took it, and looked at the picture," he said, "because she bit her lips and raised her hands."

Sağırlı went on,

"Normally kids run away, hide their faces or smile when they see a camera."

Tragically, like many displaced children in Syria, Hudea has been traumatized by the violence taking place at home. 

"It makes more sense to see what [displaced people] have suffered not through adults, but through children,” Sağırlı added.

“It is the children who reflect the feelings with their innocence."

Hudea's photo was taken at the Atmeh refugee camp in Syria in December of last year. She had traveled with her mother and two siblings to the camp some 150 kilometers from their home in Hama for shelter. 

According to BBC, the photo was first published in the Türkiye newspaper in January, where Sağırlı has worked for 25 years covering war and natural disasters among other topics.

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