Mismeasure of Muslims.
I’ve been fortunate enough to travel through several Muslim‑majority countries — Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt. Each one surprised me in ways I’m still processing. Egypt, in particular, stands out as the place that helped me find purpose in my work. These are the pictures of the people and places that changed my life — either through their stories, or because they trusted me enough to let me into their world just long enough to take a picture.
I grew up in the American Midwest in the ’80s. I was raised in a Pentecostal church and taught some truly harmful things about people who didn’t share the church’s beliefs. While I haven’t been part of the Church or the Christian faith for more than three decades, I still find my experience of being American complicated — especially as our world has become more connected.
Today I read the news about two teenage boys who attacked the Islamic Center of Worship in San Diego, killing its security guard, Amin Abdullah. Amin was a father, a respected member of his community, and he gave his life protecting it from a terrible act of extremist violence.
I don’t know about you, but as more hate crimes like this happen each year in America, I feel compelled to remind myself that this isn’t the America I know. These pictures will always represent our shared humanity, even when we live in different parts of the world. We’re all still human. We’re all trying to get by, and most of us are just trying our best.
Links to support Amin’s family.
The good samaritan. A man, helping an elderly blind man cross the street for afternoon prayers in Cairo. This photo changed my life.
