Palestinians In Jerusalem Are Embracing The Ramadan Selfie Trend
Reuters photographer Ammar Awad photographs and talks to Palestinians who are jumping on the trend of taking selfies during Ramadan at al-Aqsa Mosque, also known as the Dome of the Rock, an eighth-century Muslim shrine in Jerusalem. The selfie takers told Awad that the selfies are both a personal memento and for relatives who are unable to visit the ancient compound.
Al-Aqsa has been the site of heated confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians for many years. Access is controlled by Israel and limited for Palestinians.
Hussam Abu Daba'a, center, 55, from the West Bank city of Hebron.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
"Many of those taking selfies were holding up handwritten notes addressed to relations who were not able to be there." –Ammar Awad
Shadi Etmezeh, left, 25, from the West Bank village of Idna, near Hebron.
Shadi takes a photo of a relative holding a note reading "Muatasem Etmezeh, the mosque misses you."
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Translation: "Take that!"
Muntasser Ne'erat, 31, from the West Bank city of Nablus.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
"We take these pictures for our family because we really care about them and want them to enter al-Aqsa [through the pictures]." –Ameer Taha
Dafer Kaloteer, 48, from Jerusalem.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Dahud Hamad, 48, from the West Bank city of Hebron.
This is Hamad's second visit to the compound.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
"We took it as a memory, because maybe we won't be able to come again next Ramadan." –Shorouq
Muhamad Etmezeh, 26, from the West Bank village of Idna, near Hebron.
This is Etmezeh's first visit to the compound.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Salma Salame, left, 27, from the Arab-Israeli town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
"This message is for my relatives and son because they are not allowed to enter Jerusalem." –Ibtisam Thaher, a mother from the West Bank city of Ramallah
Ali Hassan, left, 16, from the West Bank city of Hebron.
The note reads "Iyad Abu Reine, the mosque misses you."
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Ammer Ali, 17, from the West Bank city of Nablus.
Ali said this is his first visit in Al Aqsa, and so he wants to take photos of everything on the compound.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Salma Salame, 27, from the Arab-Israeli town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye.
This is Salame's third visit to the compound.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
"I just wanted to capture a piece of personal history. I haven't been to al-Aqsa for 20 years; it's a memory from al-Aqsa that I will post on Facebook." –Mahdi al-Karaki, from Hebron in the West Bank
Ali Souwan, 12, with friends from the West Bank city of Hebron.
Souwan said he has not been to al-Aqsa in three years and that he took the selfie to show his friends and so that he'll have a souvenir.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Hakem Shtayeh, center, 28, from the West Bank city of Nablus.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
"They wanted to have a presence at al-Aqsa during Ramadan. I hope that I achieved their wish and that God considers that they prayed here." –Ibtisam Thaher
Sanaa Abu Jaudi, left, 16, from the West Bank city of Jenin.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Translation: "We do not need a permit to enter Jerusalem."
Nura Darawshe, 40, from the West Bank village of Turmus Aya, near Nablus.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Muhamad Younis, right, 14, from the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Nura Hassan, 17, from the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
Ammar Awad / Reuters
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from Gaza, the West Bank, and across the globe will visit the mosque during Ramadan this year.
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