Spotlight on Photography: Ramadan Picnic of American Muslims
On a warm June evening, people gathered at a park in Bethesda, Maryland, for a community potluck dinner welcoming the start of Ramadan.
On a warm June evening, people gathered at a park in Bethesda, Maryland, for a community potluck dinner welcoming the start of Ramadan. This image is part of a project called Everyday American Muslim, documenting the daily life of Muslims in the US. As part of an effort to share what I see and experience as a practicing Muslim and an American, it challenges some of the stereotypes prevalent in mainstream media, including the notion that one cannot be both Muslim and American.
A lot of the images in this project depict Muslims practicing their faith. Many more also show experiences that we collectively share in daily life. At this event there was a father carrying his son; children and adults roasting hot dogs, corn and marshmallows over an open fire; people mingling at a buffet table while enjoying a variety of food; children chasing each other, laughing and playing games.
Rather than focusing on differences in culture and faith, my hope is that anyone looking at these images of everyday moments can find something that feels familiar, that connects all of us as people.
—Zoshia Minto
@zoshiaminto
@everydayamericanmuslim
www.zoshiaminto.com
You may also be interested in...
The Lost World Of Southern Iraq's Marsh Arabs
History
Arts
In late 1967, photographer Tor Eigoland traveled for more than: a month, mostly by canoe, among the countless villages of southern Iraq's vast marshes. Now, 45 years later, writer Anthony Sattin calls his photographs a "rare and ethnographic record of a lost world. They bring us back to a time and place where people lived in harmony with their environment and respected the balance the natural world needs to thrive.'
Ambon Island, East Indonesia by Hengki Koentjoro
Arts
This photo was taken off Ambon Island, East Indonesia in 2010. It is one of my favorites, illustrating the free-spirited nature of the children in the rural archipelago. While some children in the big cities may stay inside and play computer games, the children in Ambon with easy access to the water see the ocean surrounding their village as their playground.
Spotlight on Photography: Arabs In America
Arts
In 1975 AramcoWorld dedicated an entire issue to celebrating the lives of Arab Americans and their impact—from renowned heart surgeon Michael DeBakey to White House correspondent Helen Thomas to entertainer and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital founder Danny Thomas.