From Egypt with Love: Sunni and Shia friends Hadeia and Fatima.
Dec
This month we at Muslim Link noticed this photo that was being shared widely thorough various social media. We decided to track down its origin and discovered that it was the creation of a 17 year old high school student, aspiring photographer, and jewelry designer from Alexandria, Egypt named Hadeia Nour Adel. Here is Muslim Link's interview with her.
Muslim Link (ML): Why did you take this photo?
I took this photo with the intention to show people that we can love each other as one ummah (community of believers). My motivation to take the photo was due to the distress of noticing brothers in Islam killing each other around the globe. I always thought, how is it that we believe in Allah, yet we kill and hate over small differences.
In the picture is my friend Fatima and I. Fatima is my best friend, a beautiful Lebanese girl who I've known for years.
ML: How have your friends and family reacted to your photo going viral?
Most of them liked the idea, Alhamdulillah (thank Allah). I didn't expect so much appreciation and attention towards it. I also got some beautiful messages from people I don't even know, encouraging and thanking my friend and I.
I didn't know what to expect, yet under the circumstances I would have supposed more negativity towards it. However it must be a good sign and I'm glad the positivity made the negativity seem like nothing.
ML: Do you think there is hope for improvement in Sunni-Shi'a relations?
Yes, of course we can, if we only remove the hatred from our hearts. We must believe that love can change everything and simply be more positive.
Check out more of Hadeia's photography on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hadeia-Photography
This article was produced exclusively for Muslim Link and should not be copied without prior permission from the site. For permission, please write to info@muslimlink.ca.
