The Manrilla Blog | Life. Art. Religion. Culture.

I met Hazem while he was working at Ali Baba, a restaurant in Ann Arbor owned by a Palestinian family. The dynamic was interesting between the non-Levant Arabs [Tunisians, Yemenis, etc.] and the Palestinians. Many of the non-levant Arabs worked in the greater Detroit area, from Dearborn to Ann Arbor, sometimes at the whim of fellow Arab employers who would pay them low wages, often working for days on end with little to no time off and no worker’s rights. Dearborn especially had a visible caste system with the Yemeni Arabs working low-end jobs and the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese being the more affluent.

As for Hazem, I cannot say that his experience was wholly unpleasant. He seemed to get along well with the owners. I had the opportunity to get to know them all quite well myself as I spent a lot of time hanging out in the kitchen with the staff and family. I also taught the owner’s children at a weekend Islamic school. I have fond memories of the times there and when they would allow, I’d even occasionally pitch in [for a free bowl of delicious lentil soup, of course!] and help with cooking, cleaning and deliveries. Hasselblad 501 C/M, Fuji Neopan 400 ISO. Hand-held, available light.

Retrospective?

I came to Philadelphia in 2002 with Dr. Sherman Jackson and a few other brothers from the Detroit area to “see what Philly was all about”. It was a week-long road trip to come out and see first-hand what the Muslim community was like. At that time, I had the feeling that there was a certain mystique about the Philly Muslim community. I was still residing in Detroit at this time and would have never thought I’d be living here in five years. This is the first of a few shots I took from that trip. Taken right outside the United Muslim Masjid, South Philly. Hasselblad 501 C/M, Ilford Delta Pro 100 ISO. Hand-held, available light.

Retrospective?