Picture an Arab Man

Amine, Tunisia Amine, Tunisia

Picture an Arab Man

By : Tamara Abdul Hadi

Picture an Arab Man is a portrait series started in 2009 to capture young Arab men of diverse backgrounds.

The conceptual aim of this portrait series is two-fold. First, to try to uncover and break the stereotypes placed upon the Arab male, while providing an alternative visual representation of that identity. Second, it is a celebration of  sensual beauty, an unexplored aspect of the identity of the contemporary Arab man, on the cusp of change in a society that reveres an out-dated form of hyper-masculinity.

  • ALSO BY THIS AUTHOR

    • Everyday Iraq

      Everyday Iraq
      The Everyday Iraq Instagram feed was founded in early 2014 by Ahmad Mousa, a twenty-five-year old Iraqi documentary photographer and video reporter for AFP based in Baghdad. He envisioned it, he said

Sisi Mania in Photos

Expressions of support for former army chief and the presumed presidential election winner Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have reached new heights during the lead-up to the 26-28 May 2014 vote. His name and image can be found on billboards all over the buildings, posters plastered on the walls coffee shops, and photos on display at street vendors’ stands.

As I covered the elections over the course of the past week in Cairo, I encountered pro-military songs everywhere—coffee shops, driving cars, public transportation, television, outside of polling stations, and even inside of them. Most notably, one could hear the loud tunes of "tislam al-ayyadi" (blessed be the hands), a song that glorifies Sisi`s ouster of President Mohamed Morsi on 3 July 2013.

Meanwhile, there were no signs of posters or billboards of Sisi’s challenger Hamdeen Sabahi. Official election results are due on 5 June 2014, but unofficial vote counts indicate that Sisi is the clear winner.