INARA (2002-2004)

In INARA Annette den Ouden wishes to combat the collective anxiety about Islam that she believes Western governments are cultivating. Particularly the conservative America of George Bush avails itself of terms like ‘Moslem fundamentalist’, ‘axis of evil’ and ‘war on terror’ in an effort to stir up a sense of anxiety among its citizens. Den Ouden wanted to experience for herself how justified this fear is, and travelled with her camera through countries like Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. She recorded the daily life of the Islamic world, which appears to be far from as threatening as is often suggested in the West. She entitled her series INARA, Arabic for ‘enlightenment’. ‘Because of the insight that I obtained for myself, and hope to convey to others,’ explains the photographer, who works for publications including de Volkskrant, Het Parool and NRC Handelsblad.