[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 11, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE WORK OF MOHAMMED JAFFER

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 11, 2005

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to honor Mohammed 
Jaffer. Mr. Jaffer is a talented photographer and a dedicated 
individual whom I have had the pleasure of knowing for years.
  Mr. Jaffer was born in Hyderabad, India to a family wedded to the 
camera. His father, the late M.A. Rahim, was a renowned photographer, 
widely admired for his skill and vision. It was a popular belief that 
no one in the state of Andhra Pradesh could be deemed truly famous 
until Mr. Jaffer's father had photographed them.
  Having grown up in a house where everyone looked at the world through 
a camera lens, it was only natural for Mr. Jaffer to follow suit. Not 
content to limit himself to his hometown or even his home country, he 
set himself a much broader goal. Accordingly, at the tender age of 19, 
he graduated from Nizam College in Hyderabad and came to the United 
States with just his camera and a dream. Mr. Speaker, it turns out that 
the United States has proved to be a land of opportunity for Mr. 
Jaffer.
  Within a year, he formed his own news photo agency, SnapsIndia, and 
was well on his way to becoming the most-widely published Indian 
photographer in the country. In the next 15 years, Jaffer photographed 
various prime ministers and heads of states from different South Asian 
countries and around the world, as well as United Nations meetings and 
World Summits in New York.
  Having established himself in America, he began to cover high-profile 
events around the world such as the 1991 Cricket World Cup in Australia 
and New Zealand, the 1992 Australian National Laser Sailing Regatta, 
the U.S. Open in tennis for the past 7 years, the 1996 Americas Cup in 
San Diego, as well as beauty pageants and fashion shows worldwide.
  The highlight of Mr. Jaffer's career, however, came when he was 
invited to accompany President Bill Clinton to India in March of 2000. 
As part of the White House entourage, Mr. Jaffer had access to the 
President that no other Indian photographer could lay claim to. For 
five days, he photographed President Clinton in some of the most 
picturesque, and historic locations on earth, capturing the leader of 
the Free World in both private, pensive moments and at spectacular 
public events.
  In 2001, Mr. Jaffer once again accompanied President Clinton to India 
when he visited areas in the western state of Gujarat that had been 
devastated by an earthquake. President Clinton, who had admired the 
photos, inaugurated the exhibition of Mr. Jaffer's photos of the 
presidential visit at Regent Wall Street hotel in New York on June 12, 
2001. That same year, Mr. Jaffer covered the inauguration and oath 
ceremony of President George W. Bush.
  Having established SnapsIndia, the first news photo service 
specialized to cater to the South Asian community in the United States, 
Mr. Jaffer has fulfilled the dream his father started 25 years ago when 
SnapsIndia was first established in Hyderabad, India. With SnapsIndia 
Jaffer has woven bridges and contributed to strengthening the ties 
between India and the United States through photojournalism.

                          ____________________