The Story from APM

Christmas in Secret

Thursday, December 24 2009

Christmas in Secret

Paul Ciceri

The Christmas season can cause a lot of stress. It's the most over-hyped, over-commercialized holiday on the calendar. 

But for Paul Ciceri, Christmas has a very special meaning. He spent 3 years in a Middle Eastern prison known for its disregard of human rights, Al-Wathba prison in Abu Dhabi. It's a dangerous enough place for anyone, but even more so if you're like Paul: American, Christian and gay.

Somehow Paul managed not only to survive - he also found ways to celebrate Christmas with the help of Muslim inmates, despite all the strict prohibitions against such a Christian rite. This story originally aired on December 24, 2008.

• Visit Paul's website to check out his book
• See Paul's prison ID
  

Finding Humanity

Peter Turnley - larger >>

Peter Turnley's work as a photojournalist for over 25 years has brought him to some of the most traumatized parts of the world. He's seen the excesses of war as well as the devastation following natural disasters. Yet he continues his work because extreme circumstances have also shown him what's best about humanity. He tells Dick Gordon about his 1988 trip to an earthquake zone in Armenia, and how a victim's kindness became a touchstone moment for him. This story also originally aired on December 24, 2008.

• See one of Peter's photos from the 1988 Armenian earthquake
• See more of Peter's photographs
• See Peter's recent book, "McClellan Street," that he put together with his twin brother, David