Sarah Caron

Pakistan is bound to « explode ». Terrorist attacks are multiplying, Islam is becoming more radical and the West gets stuck in the conflit with Afghanistan. Sarah Caron delivers pictures of the pachtoune people on the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan where the population is more and more under talibans’ influence and pressure.

Sarah Caron starts studying literature but she has been interested in journalism for a long time and a camera finds its place quite quickly in her hands. She works on her first report in Cuba in 1994 when the country suffers from the economic crisis of that time. She joins the GAMMA agency and later the VU agency.

Sarah collaborates regularly with french and foreign newspapers and works on news subjects or long term projects.

Sarah explains that foreigners have a visa limited to three cities in Pakistan, on the pretext of protection and security. One of the big pachtoune rules is to protect guests. In order to get into the pachtoune tribe, Sarah asked for hospitality to an inhabitant.

"People living in tribal areas have a serious difficulty to feel Pakistani. They consider themselves first as tribals, then as muslims and at least as pakistani."

These areas are entirely under a feudal system governed by rich landowners. The population there is 80% illeterate and men fight for lands, women and cattle.

Sarah speaks about women who, however, have an important role in the tribe. They deal with "interior affairs", they receive other people at their houses and have the decision power for they can influence political men.

During her several journeys in Pakistan Sarah observes the population under the pressure of an interpretation more and more rigorous of the charia, the djihadist influence and deseperate youngsters who find refuge in radical Islam.

Jim Lefeuvre