About Islam and the Palestinian Cause

By Omar Abou Nader

For this project, I felt that I should use a medium that is accepted and easy to share among the people. A medium that could become as a daily bread, if not easier, since bread is becoming a luxury to some. Photography is probably the 21^st century most accessible form of art and most definitely the easiest to share and broadcast. Therefore, I considered it as my crusade to get a certain message across through a series of three photographs.

The series is shot in a studio in order to show conformity between the photos. However, the angles differ in order to convey a certain feeling. The first two photographs are shot from a mid-high angle to give the objects a human perspective while preserving details. The third is shot in a tilted angle in order to stress on the tension and emphasize on the state of being.

The first picture shows the Holy Quran resting on a rifle with the Palestinian Kuffiya and a military uniform as a base. In this shot I aimed to catch the viewer and lure them into prejudice and misunderstanding. In fact, my aim is to make the viewer fall into stereotyping and to associate Islam with violence with a hint to the Palestinian territory, knowing that the Kuffiya had been misrepresented over the past decade and had become a symbol of terror.

In the second photograph, the Holy Quran is no longer the focus and shifts to the side to make space to a map. The map represents the Gaza Strip with blood spills on the burnt map. On top a compass sits with four empty shells.

The third photograph reveals a lot and the focus becomes a family portrait with a black strip on the upper left corner along with a Mahmoud Darwish book that reads: A lover from Palestine. A slingshot appears to rest on the family portrait with the Holy Quran on the side. The weapon re-appear and rests on the Kuffiya. An important detail shows that the weapon has no magazine.

This series of photographs is very personal, also very dependent on each person’s perspective and can be seen as negative or positive. As the photographer and the visionary, I admit that it might leave some confused or more repellent to Islam or the Palestinian cause; however, I target those who are just enough and wise enough in a bid to break some stereotypes.

In order to stay specific to the series and be concise I will not go into details as these photos can be discussed thoroughly and extensively and even debated over for long periods.

In these shots, I am trying to portray the Palestinian cause and how Islam is not bound to terrorize people, however, circumstances –individual and/or communal- push people to commit acts in order to attain a goal. In all fairness, the struggle portrayed in the series hints to freedom and justice, though it might look violent is not. If you take a moment to study the details closely, you will understand the story behind it but might misjudge it whether you are pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli. It is the story of a man who is going through a struggle –a Jihad in Islam- but not a violent one. His family is dead, killed, murdered. However, the weapon is not his, as you might have thought, he does not kill, he does not believe in vengeance only mercy the way the Quran address him. The gun is this, which his family was killed with, the empty shells once held bullets that took refuge in the bodies of his family. He consolidates himself, mends his broken heart and sews up his scars with Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry. He cherish the brave slingshot of his son that he once played and fought with it. The gun is empty yet very brutal, this man chooses to cherish the life taker and celebrate it. He celebrates death since he strongly believes in life. A controversy that many will never understand.

In Islam, Jihad is the struggle in life, each with his or her own struggle. Jihad is not terrorism; it is not a synonym and should never be a synonym for terrorism. In addition, the right to fight and defend one’s land is irrelevant of one’s religion and background. Territorial defense and conquering had been the natural way of how this world rotated over the past thousands of years. Wars should be labeled and titled for the true reason they are fought: resources and power. An existential war is rising and Islam should not be accused of it since the three main religions in the Middle East (along with minorities) were almost living in harmony before the Nakaba.

I did not intend to make it political; however, politics and religion had become so inter-connected that it is almost impossible to discuss matters separately. Unfortunately.

Brief, I come from a secular and rich background. Growing up, I picked up causes and fought for what I saw as just. I do not take sides blindly and always on the lookout to discuss and decrease cultural gaps. I like to consider myself as lucky and gifted in the sense that I understand, defend and respect all religions. I strongly believe that everyone is mistaken and made glitches at some point, so no one is 100% wrong and no one is 100% correct. Lastly, my ideal principle and strongest belief is that there is resources for everyone in this world. I quote John Lennon’s song: Imagine.