Noreen Nasir, race and ethnicity video journalist, Chicago; Mariam Fam, religion reporter, Cairo; and Aroun Deen, New York administration, produced a rich, character-driven look at obstacles and opportunities for American Muslims observing Ramadan during the pandemic. Harnessing the power of the AP across the U.S., the team and their colleagues brought a complex subject to vivid fruition with a nuanced, intimate look at the Muslim community adjusting and improvising during a more virtual and sometimes solitary holy month.
Among the profiles:
– An intensive care respiratory therapist in Chicago: “I didn’t know if I was physically or mentally strong enough to be a frontliner.”
– A new convert to Islam in Houston: “I think this is the path that Allah has set for me as a challenge.”
– An imam in the heart of the New York City outbreak: “Once we receive a call asking for help, we never question about the caller’s faith.”
Working with multiple visual journalists and editors to assemble imagery – itself a challenge at this fast-moving moment, the team assembled the package like a jigsaw puzzle. They collaborated with, among others, Central Region Deputy Director Kim Johnson; Global Religion producer Emily Leshner, who assembled the custom web page; photographers Bebeto Matthews, Charles Rex Arbogast and David J. Phillip; and the South region’s multitalented Ron Harris.
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Rush University Medical Center respiratory therapist Jumana Azam puts on a surgical mask after standing before a face temperature scanner as she reports for her early morning shift at the hospital in Chicago, April 22, 2020.
AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast
Rush University Medical Center respiratory therapist Jumana Azam pauses before a face temperature scanner as she reports for her early morning shift at the hospital in Chicago, April 22, 2020.
AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast
Asghar Ali Khan's smartphone rests against the Quran as he watches a virtual Quran study with other men during Ramadan at his home in Wheeling, Ill., April 28, 2020.
AP Photo / Charles Rex Arbogast
Ricardo Ramirez poses during an interview near his home in Houston, April 23, 2020. Ramirez is observing Ramadan for the first time after converting to Islam last year. Ramadan is typically a time of communal meals and praying in congregation. This year, the month comes as the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted Islamic worship and spurred mosque closures to the public.
AP Photo / David J. Phillip
Ricardo Ramirez shows a Muslim prayer app on his smartphone during an interview near his home in Houston, April 23, 2020.
AP Photo / David J. Phillip
Jamilah Shakir, left, leads a group of women through yoga exercises in Atlanta, April 29, 2020. Shakir says her family and friends have chosen to respect social distancing during Ramadan. Like many Muslims this year, she will also be missing the special Ramadan taraweeh prayers at the mosque and the imam reciting verses from the Quran. But she continues to look for the blessings.
AP Photo / Ron Harris