The Photographic Muslim’s Terminus
Lived Pluralism, Manifest Reality, and Heartfelt Gratitude
Dear Reader,
Whether you are familiar with my work or finding it for the very first time, I hope this letter finds you and yours healthy in the midst of this COVID-19 Pandemic.
Haytham ad-Din → The Photographic Muslim has been a project reflecting my disposition as a pluralistic Muslim and thus has focused on honoring non-Muslim religious histories via photo-essays on houses of worship and the communities they represent. I write this letter now because I have decided to definitively end the Haytham project. Although the Pandemic has sharpened my decision to do so at this time, I close Haytham for reasons not directly related to the Pandemic.
Lived Pluralism
As outlined in my Mission Statement, the initial impetus for Haytham was the sadness and shame I have felt about the shuttering and destruction of non-Muslim houses of worship, and the congregations attached to them, within the Muslim-majority world. These feelings have further been tied to the question Who is your neighbor? that is raised implicitly or explicitly by many scriptures. Focusing on non-Muslim houses of worship has thus allowed me to use my deeply-held sentiments for a positive purpose, address a loaded provocation from scripture, and convey my gratitude for the societal freedom that grants me the ability to be the kind of Muslim I am, which is increasingly difficult if not impossible in most of the Muslim-majority world.
To answer the scriptural provocation, I humbly assert that your neighbor is not only the person who is different from you, but is the person you have assumed to know a lot about from afar, though you have never actually taken the time to get closer and gain meaningful knowledge. I have always considered myself a pluralist, but even my earlier journeys in life left me distracted from contributing to non-Muslim communities in a practical way. Haytham has allowed me to finally live out my pluralism in a substantive manner by learning and writing about the rich histories of non-Muslim communal journeys.
The broader lesson to be found here is that the strengthening of societal cohesion, in the interfaith dimension or otherwise, ideally ought to occur more frequently on mere interpersonal terms, not just within the high structures of institutional officialdom. Societal cohesion is a constant endeavor, not one to be activated only at the prodding of good leaders nor abandoned at the destructiveness of bad leaders. Cohesion begins with any individual choosing to live thoughtfully and accountably toward others, in doing so becoming a friend without an agenda.
Manifest Reality
Once the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in New York City, I decided to suspend new photography for Haytham until all issues related to the Coronavirus unequivocally abated. However, in recognizing that such a turning point remains a long way off, I began reflecting on the positive and negative aspects of my time as Haytham heretofore and realized now is an appropriate time to suspend the project permanently. Even within the relatively narrow parameters of the project, my social interactions have, sadly, proven intermittently problematic vis-a-vis basic interpersonal ethics.
There are many other sites/faiths/denominations I had hoped to have included already by this juncture, but attempts to make contact with the relevant authorities for necessary permissions were met either with no acknowledgments or with preliminary replies followed by ghosting. Even for photo-essays that did move forward with approval, it has been especially discouraging to encounter an absence of courtesy and professionalism regarding several of my requested draft reviews, which became difficult to obtain or were yet again met with ghosting from the relevant authorities. In other cases, laypersons who became associated with a particular photo-essay, and acknowledged therein for their contributions, also did not reply to me when I shared the published post with them.
My reflections on these matters have only become more acute due to the Pandemic and how it has exacerbated the unbearable lightness of contemporary social norms. The necessary physical distancing that is ongoing has resulted in quarantine chic social media trends and virtually no letup in the ubiquitous, persistent need to turn everything into a meme or animated GIF, which I find utterly alienating and depressing as such things only reinforce the lack of seriousness and gravitas that has become inescapable in the public sphere. With the Pandemic already conjuring many of the worst impulses in various parts of American leadership and laity, I anticipate that my negative experiences will only multiply and worsen should I resume the project in the future.
Heartfelt Gratitude
I do not wish to have such negativity overtake the many genuinely positive interactions I have had throughout the project. These interactions have been among the most dear moments I have been blessed to experience in my life and have reinforced the sincerity and seriousness that drove this work. The confidence, trust, and support shown to me by both clergy and laity leave me filled with heartfelt gratitude, especially because this project has always been for and about others.
I am also thankful to all the readers on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and elsewhere who have supported my work via clicks, claps, likes, retweets, upvotes, and comments. Your interactions with my online work may have seemed mundane, but such recognition was gratefully received and allowed me to become a Top Writer in Photography on Medium. As collaborators and readers have helped me fulfill an important mission in my life, I hope all of you may find, or continue, your own important missions to help those who are different than you and have meaningful stories to learn about and share.
With peace and health to you and yours,
