Capturing the Light

“Through my lens: Capturing the Silent Stories of Napier Barracks”. reads the caption on one of Heji’s beautiful photographs on his instagram account. “You always seem to find hope in the darkest of places. It is a gift” , reads one of the comments; “Always capturing glimmers of light”, reads another.

Heji is a young Kurdish man living in the infamous Napier Barracks, a former military barracks now used by the Home Office as temporary accommodation to house people seeking refuge in the UK, as they wait for their asylum cases to be processed. At the moment there is a huge backlog of unprocessed Asylum cases in the UK; and the acception criteria is complex and changing.

Heji takes captivating photos. Through his camera lens, Heji opens a window for us. He is sensitively showing us that amidst the bleakness and challenges of life in Napier Barracks, and amidst all the fear and uncertainty, there is also hope, shared humanity, resilience, and light.

*Heji captioned this: “Creativity at Napier. Art brings light to challenging times”*

“I started taking photographs at Napier Barracks to show people the reality of asylum seekers’ lives and our situation here”, Heji told me. “Many people think we live in luxury hotels, with three nice meals a day, no problems, and money from the government, but that’s far from the truth. I wanted to challenge those misconceptions”.

“I’m not very good at talking or storytelling” Heji said, “but I can capture a scene with my camera. A photo, for me, can tell thousands of stories. It can explain the scene, the story, or the situation in a way that words often cannot. When you look at my pictures, I hope you can see and understand the story they tell without needing any explanation”.

*Heji captioned this: “If those chairs could speak, they would tell countless stories of the many asylum seekers who have passed through Napier Barracks.”*

With race riots all over the news in UK this week, I sent Heji a message to check in and see if he, and those he was with, were okay. “Hey, I hope you are okay. Oh god, Thank you so much for your thoughtful message. It means a lot to me and everyone here. Knowing that we have supportive friends like you in the UK gives us comfort and strength during this difficult time. I deeply appreciate your kindness and solidarity” came his reply.

We chatted some more. “These attacks on asylum-seeker hotels and Muslim mosques are deeply unsettling, very scary and uncomfortable. Although Napier Barracks was not directly targeted, these events have left all of us who are asylum seekers or refugees feeling scared and vulnerable” he told me, “However, I believe it’s important to focus on the resilience and solidarity we’ve found in each other during these times. Sharing stories of support and kindness amidst adversity can be a powerful message”.

Heji wanted to highlight how the community in Napier Barracks has come together to support one another, the strength they’ve drawn from each other, and how they continue to find hope and express themselves through art and photography.

“Additionally, I want to emphasize that many British people have reached out to me with messages of support, checking in to see if I’m okay. Their kindness reassures us that the violent actions do not represent the true British spirit. We have received overwhelming support from people in England who understand that we are fleeing from fear, and they stand with us and offer protection. In fact, I’ve met a British family who treats me like I’m their son. They do everything for me, invite me to their home, and even gave me their house keys” Heji went on.

*Heji captioned this: “Behind these walls, the future is decided: the weight of hope and fear in one room”.*

What has been happening this week is horrifying. The targeting of innocent people based on the colour of their skin or their percieved religion is abhorrent. It did not come out of nowhere. The hostile and dehumanising rhetoric we are accustomed to hearing from politicians, the media, and people in power has had a large part to play in fuelling this hostility.

But there are many glimmers of light and hope to take courage from too. I was completely struck by the bravery and compassion displayed by imam Adam Kelwick, of the Abdullah Quilliam mosque in Liverpool (the oldest mosque in Britain), when he crossed the police line and spoke to far-right rioters targeting his mosque. He handed out drinks, burgers, and food, and he listened to the rioters grievances, before welcoming them in. He launched a riot repair fund and recieved 47 donations overnight before even sharing it on social media. In Liverpool, more than £200,000 has been raised for Liverpool Library after it was burned down by rioters, and over 150 writers have promised to donate their books for free. The library was initially opened only last year, to serve deprived communities in the area.

I was heartened by the video I saw on Channel 4 news of decent, brave members of the community coming out in Rotheram to stand peacefully in solidarity with victims of the agression; and I was encouraged to see videos of hundreds, sometimes thousands of people coming out in Newcastle, Walthamstow, Oxford, Liverpool, Lewisham, North Finchley, Nottingham, Southampton, Cheadle, and Brighton to do the same. Just yesterday morning, a friend of mine sent me a voice message from Skipton, North Yorkshire and her voice cracked with emotion as she told me “It was so lovely because somebody in the community this morning put some flowers in the Mosque with a message of support”. My friend went on to do the same thing herself, and sent flowers and a card. It reminded me that there are things we can all do that can make a difference.

It’s heartening to see all of this, but the fear many are feeling is still very real. I hope we can take this opportunity to channel our horror into action. I hope these events focus more attention on the systemic inequality in our society. I hope we can each use whatever privilege and means we have to say no to apathy, and ask ourselves what more we can do in our own communities; but also to hold those with power to account for their role in this. I hope we can follow Heji’s example, and look out for each other, and capture the light.

Heji, thank you for your powerful message. It’s been an honour to get to know you; your bravery and compassion are inspiring. You are more than welcome in the UK, now and always. I hope you get the opportunity to build a freeer, safer, better life soon. We are with you.

*Heji captioned this: “Through the clouds, a promise of freedom.”*

Please do make sure to follow Heji on social media! His photographs and captions are not to be missed.

Also if you are a refugee or person seeking asylum in the UK. or you know any people who are and who may be affected by what is happening right now, please let them know that Boloh is Barnado’s free emotional support helpline for adults seeking asylum: 0800 151 2605. For anybody who witnesses agression, their advice is to call 101, or 999 if it’s an emergency.