The Pyramids of Giza near Cairo largely lose their effectiveness when viewed through the niqab
Ammar explains that in his native Lebanon, wearing religious clothing is, as a rule, a woman's personal choice. Sometimes they themselves prefer to wear the niqab, burqa, chador, and abaya (a closed dress) because they feel more familiar, protected, and "respected." However, traveling through the Middle East, the photographer painfully noticed that under the growing influence of Islamists, more and more women are forced to cover their faces: refusing to do so can lead to serious trouble.
In Syria and Iraq, for example, ISIS terrorists force women in controlled territories to adhere to the strictest Islamic dress code under threat of severe punishment and even death.
This is how Muslim women in Lebanon see the sea
And this is what the Khan el-Khalili market in Cairo, Egypt looks like
Ammar photographed the best views of his native Beirut and the vibrant landscapes of Egypt through the chador, and the result showed the harsh truth: the colors of the Mediterranean fade and darken when viewed through a black veil. For the photographer, this claustrophobia-inducing blackness is the most clear and obvious symbol of the dark times descending on the Middle East. Enjoying the beauty of a park in Cairo through a hijab is quite difficult
A photograph of the Corniche in Beirut particularly clearly illustrates the difference between seeing through a hijab and without it
Photos by Hassan AMMAR.