Source: Graduate Photography Online - 2008 - Dublin Institute of Technology

GRADUATE
PHOTOGRAPHY
ONLINE 2008

Ruth Medjber

Salam Alaykoum

This project features women of the muslim community living in Ireland. The documentary style portraits allow the viewer to meet with the women in their own personal evironment. A cross section of women is represented regardless of age/occupation/nationality as the aim of this project was to fairly and honestly represent female muslim community. These are people who are quite often miss represented in Western society. Challenging stereotyped views that are held by an unnerving amount of non-muslims that these women are oppressed by men, meek and timid , even uneduacted. The photographer contacted women through many different channels such as Muslim dating websites, approaching women on the street and visiting the mosque in order to represent an unbias cross section of women. In doing this, the project shows exactly the types of muslim women in Ireland. We see docile women, mostly homemakers but we also see that there are very strong, powerful and well educated muslim women active within the Irish community. The viewer is introduced to all these women, a doctor, a student ,a homemaker and many other average women all in their everyday common settings, familiar to us all, the office, the city street or classroom. The images deconstruct any ideas that these women are different to the average woman just because she covers her hair or worships another God. The female viewer is compelled to recognise themselves in the images, relating to their occupation or environment, the male viewer recognising what could be his mother,sister, friend. The main aim of the project is to promote intergration and to dispell previous myths about Islam. And to also encourage the viewer to realise that muslim women are simply women.

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Ruth Medjber - Dublin Institute of Technology