An atheist photographer in Australia recently collaborated with as many as 40 Muslims in his neighbourhood in an attempt to reveal their world and prove to the adherents of other religions that every person is human, regardless of their personal beliefs. In his photo series titled “Faces of Islam”, Matt Palmer tries to share stories and quotes from a diversified group of Australian Muslims so he can demystify and challenge false stereotypes.
Speaking to the media, Palmer said, “The project is primarily about other human beings. So, the interviews were focused on really finding out who these people are and finding that human element and shared experiences that we can all relate to and connect with.”
Faces of Islam Portfolios
| Laila | Shoaib |
| Muaz | Raheema |
| Safeera | Zayd |
| Amina | Rashid |
Palmer conceived the idea for his photo series after the Charlie Hebdo massacre led to an increase of mistrust and hatred for Islam in the West and he realized that too much misinformation was being spread about Islam and its adherents on social media.
“In our age of technology it’s never been quicker for the wrong information to spread, and people defend those fabrications of information even when confronted with overwhelming fact,” Palmer wrote. “That’s just not treating other people fairly and with human decency, and as we would like to be treated ourselves.”
The youngest person that Palmer spoke to was only three years old while the eldest 75. He said that the project helped him learn more about not only these people but also their religion.
“I still have the same healthy skepticism of religion in general as I believe everyone should, but first and foremost, I am a supporter of good people,” Palmer wrote. “And I’ve found many who are Muslim and many who are in our community.”
Photo Credits: Yahoo Images
