Hawzah News Agency-An international photo exhibit on display in the Milwaukee City Hall rotunda aims to teach others about Islam by sharing photos of Muslims celebrating Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer.
On display through Dec. 2, "The Spirit of Ramadan" shows images of the Islamic holy month from countries around the world. The Milwaukee exhibit will feature more than 40 photographs from both professional and hobby photographers, selected through the International Ramadan Photography Competition. The photo exhibition debuted in Malaysia and has traveled to England, Australia and now the United States.
Co-founder and exhibit curator Lina Ali said the idea is to promote dialogue and understanding about Islam through photography.
"We hope that visitors to the exhibit will take away a positive image of Muslims and Islam as opposed to what we see in the media highlighting only negative news of a very small minority of Muslims or most recently with our president-elect sharing his idea of registering or banning Muslims as if we are foreign and don't belong in our own country," Ali said.
Ramadan commemorates the first revelation of Islam's holy text, the Qur'an, to the prophet Mohammed. During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset each day. Evening meals are shared with family and friends to break the daily fasts. This year, Ramadan was celebrated from June 5 to July 5. In 2017, Ramadan will be celebrated from May 26 to June 25.
The photographs come from both Muslim-majority and -minority countries. Some show Muslims in prayer or acts of charity and forgiveness, while others depict celebratory times of Ramadan where people enjoy food together to break the fast.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of Islam's five pillars. The other pillars are daily prayer, pilgrimage, charity and professing one's faith.
"Although the cultural aspects in the exhibit are varied and strong, there is a common core of humanity and humility in the images that all people can relate to," Ali said.