Photographer Ammar Abd Rabbo Recalls Documenting the Aftermath of the 2015 Paris Attacks

Witnessing the Aftermath

• 📸 Ammar Abd Rabbo, a Franco-Syrian photographer, shares his experience documenting the aftermath of the 2015 Paris attacks, arriving in the city shortly after the events.
• 💔 He describes feeling terrible, extremely scary, and extremely sad upon hearing the news, especially as Paris is his city and it was the second major attack that year after Charlie Hebdo.

Documenting Grief and Unity

• ✈️ Abd Rabbo traveled from Beirut to Paris to be with his family and to witness and document the events, feeling a personal connection as a French-Syrian.
• 🤝 He highlights the importance of photographing signs like "I'm a Muslim but against terrorism" to counter divisive narratives and emphasize that the attacks were a national and civilizational issue, not just a community one.
• 🏛️ He also captured images of officials and public gatherings, such as minutes of silence, to document the broader societal response and the city's official mourning.

Symbols of Resilience

• 🇫🇷 The photographer recalls the Eiffel Tower being lit up in the French flag's colors (blue, white, and red) with a Latin inscription meaning "this boat never sinks," symbolizing resilience.
• 💡 He reflects on the unpredictable nature of photography, noting that images captured for the moment can become historically significant years later.

Reflections Ten Years On

• 📈 Abd Rabbo expresses concern about the rise of the far-right in Europe and the lingering fear and Islamophobia, acknowledging that these events may have contributed to it.
• 💪 Despite these fears, he believes French civil society remains strong and has not collapsed, contrasting it with the collapse of ISIS.
• 🇸🇾 He also notes the progress in Syria, where the dictatorship has been overthrown, though acknowledges the ongoing transition and imperfections of the revolution.