When people ignorantly yell, “Go back to where you came from!”, most of us quizzically wonder “Where? New York? Jersey? Michigan?”. The misconception that Muslims are somehow “new” is problematic and has no place in our America. Carlos Khalil Guzman’s beautiful series seeks to showcase how Muslims of America are both new and old, big and small, and come in all shapes and colors. Masha’Allah.
“Muslims of America” is a photo series dedicated to capturing the diversity of the Muslim community in the United States and bringing to light the beauty and truthfulness of Islam while countering Islamophobia. Mainstream media has and continues to spread a culture of fear and intolerance against Muslims all across the country. This project was born to change that and more, to give Muslims a voice and reclaim our narrative. One of the goals of this project is to show that we, Muslims have been an integral part of American society since the beginning with African slaves being some of the first Muslims to reach this land.
We are your neighbors, coworkers and classmates. We come in all shapes and colors. We are teachers, artists, athletes, doctors, librarians, and every other profession you can think of.
But more importantly we are human beings; we have dreams and aspirations and we are as much “American” (for lack of a better word) as every other person living here. You can check out the project here and scroll across the Gallery at the top of this page!
The project consists of portraits of American Muslims from all walks of life, women, men and gender non-conforming folks. Muslims across all 50 states from different ethnic backgrounds and professions reflecting the fabric of the United States as a nation of immigrants from all over the world.
Carlos Khalil Guzman is a native New Yorker who took an interest in photography at an early age. His simple yet sophisticated style derives from the idea that our planet itself is a work of art and that photography is only an instrument that enables him to capture her beauty. He is about one thing: simplicity and capturing moments that will last a lifetime; always maintaining the humanity and natural beauty of his subjects.
You can check out his portfolio at www.carloskhalilguzman.com and follow the project as it unfolds on Instagram: carloskhalilguzman
