Photo Gallery: Windows of the Soul

Burning Farmhouse

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Near Khan Yunus, Gaza, November 1993: Israeli settlers burned this Palestinian farm at dawn.

Palestinian Police

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Jabalyah Refugee Camp, Gaza, March 1996: Palestinian police search a Hamas home at night.

Man Selling Fish

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Gaza City, Gaza, July 1993: A man sells fish while an Israeli soldier jumps out of his truck to chase Palestinians who had been throwing stones.

Fleeing Protestor

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Bethlehem, West Bank, March 1988: A young Palestinian protestor flees as Israeli troops fire shots in his direction.

Iranian Couple

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Isfahan, Iran, March 1998: On Khajou Bridge, an engaged couple enjoys a chaperoned visit out of sight of morality police on the other side of the bridge.

Imam Mosque, Iran

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Isfahan, Iran, April 1998: Built by Shah Abbas I at the beginning of the 17th century and completed in 1638 after his death, the Imam Mosque is one of the great architectural works of the Muslim world. It stands among gorgeous neighbors Lotfollah Mosque and the Ali Qapu Palace on Imam Khomeini Square, one of the world’s largest public squares, where kings once watched polo matches. Famed for its beauty, the Imam Mosque embodies the special character of Persian-Islamic architecture. Its splendor lies partly in the masterful glazed tile work, the colors of which change subtly with the light. The mosque is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Over the past decade, Isfahan has been an ideological battleground between hard-liners and reformers. Once the capital of Persia, Isfahan sits close to the approximate geographic center of the country. The old Persian expression Isfahan nesf-e-jahan—"Isfahan is half the world"—is still used today to express the greatness of the city in its heyday

Iranian Girls Playing

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Poshteh Shahvar, Iran, November 1998: Bandari girls play by a canal at the end of the day.

Masked Women

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Minab, Iran, November 1998: Masked women take a break after shopping at the weekly open-air market. The wearing of masks in the Muslim world often has its roots in pre-Islamic customs. The masks are everyday wear for these women, and I couldn’t resist trying one on to see how it felt to view the world through it. The most disconcerting thing for a novice was having my vision strictly divided between left and right by the long protruding fold between the eyes.

Deceased Child

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Baardheere, Somalia, November 1992: A recently deceased child awaits burial in an unmarked grave.

Snipers Arrested

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Mogadishu, Somalia, February 1993: Nigerian UN troops from Operation Restore Hope arrested these Somali snipers allied with warlord Muhammad Farah Aidid’s militia. They’d been attacking our hotel for days. The UN troops’ arrival in December 1992 helped end the famine but they withdrew in 1995 after being drawn into fighting, especially with Aidid’s militia. Since then, Somalia has suffered from floods, come under occupation by Ethiopian troops, withstood civil war between Islamist forces and a shaky pro-Western government, and been at the brink of famine.

Razanne Dolls

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Dearborn, Michigan, February 2002: Razanne dolls are a Muslim-American alternative to Barbie.

Woman With Lawnmower

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Dearborn, Michigan, June 2002: Tufaha Baydayn, a Lebanese American, fled Lebanon’s civil war in the 1970s.

Muslims Praying in Prison

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Graterford, Pennsylvania, December 2001: To photograph Friday prayers at the State Correctional Institution at Graterford, I needed the consent of the imam and the Muslim prison elders, who were serving life sentences. They were polite, respectful, and insisted on carrying my cameras. I was their guest, and they took it as a point of pride to safeguard me from the non-Muslim prisoners. I wore strict hijab both to show my hosts respect and also to send a stern message to the rest of the prison population that I was with—and protected by—the Muslims.

At this maximum-security prison, there were about 800 Sunni Muslims in a total population of 3,200. Most of them were African American. Contrary to popular belief, the vast majority of the U.S. prison system’s Muslims today are mainstream Sunnis, not Nation of Islam members.

Lebanon Election Rally

Photograph and caption by Alexandra Avakian

Ba’albek, Lebanon, June 2005: Hezbollah bodyguards at an election rally are alert as their leaders speak. When I raised my camera, they whispered into their earpieces.