HAVING engrossed himself with taking photographs of British pop stars of the 1960s, world-renowned photographer, Peter Sanders, embarked on a spiritual journey, which led him to India and then finally to accepting Islam in the 1970s.
Adopting the Muslim name Abdul Azeem after his conversion, Peter Sanders’ passionate photography of the Islamic world has captivated the hearts and minds of countless people. His work — in this turbulent post 9/11 era — presents a breath of fresh air from the negative and stereotypical projection of Islam.
“I have devoted the last 35 years to capturing an aspect of Islamic civilization all too often ignored in an age of upheaval and change,” writes Sanders about his passion for capturing the Islamic world on lens. “In my travels throughout the Islamic world, I have found a beauty and spiritual depth in the people and places I have visited,” he adds.
Born in London in 1946, Sanders began his career in photography in the mid-1960s covering many of the pop stars of that era, including Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones and The Doors. From snapping idols of the British music industry, Sanders says he grew tired and traveled to India on a spiritual journey. On his return to the UK, he converted to Islam.
“When I came back to England, some of my friends had become Muslim. Then there were other friends who had gotten heavy into drugs and alcohol. It was as if God was saying to me, ‘which direction do you want to go?’”
Three months after converting to Islam at the age of 24, Sanders decided to travel for Haj for the first time, a journey he has made on a number of occasions thereafter. It was during his first Haj in 1971 that the British photographer was given rare access to photographing the annual pilgrimage, something unique for a Westerner at the time. In a previous interview, Sanders said he visited a number of offices in Jeddah and Makkah to gain permission.
“Eventually, I found a man who had the authority to grant me permission. A lot of people didn’t want to take responsibility at the time, and they were generally not too keen on photography anyway, especially by a convert. But this man was in a position to authorize me and he did so purely on trust,” he says.
These images, in recognition of their rareness, appeared in the Sunday Times Magazine, The Observer color supplement, Paris Match, Stern and Europa magazines.
With our three decades of experience of photographing the Islamic world, Sanders is currently visiting the Kingdom and conducting a two-day exhibition — the first day of which was held yesterday and the final session tonight — of some of his unique photographs at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Thirty-eight photographs — from Sanders’ collection “In the Shade of the Tree” — will be shown tonight on screen using a projector with the photographer providing his personal commentary to the pictures. The event, which is to be held at the JCCI’s Sheikh Ismail Abu Dawud Hall, has been organized by the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY).
“The exhibition is aimed at projecting Islam in a positive light,” said Dr. Huda Fatani, one of the organizers. “Peter Sanders’ photographs after his conversion to Islam have a deep meaning and a spiritual aspect to them. He calls to Allah and Islam through his remarkable pictures. The way he presents his photos is very unique and beat with spirituality and emotion,” she added. “He sees what is beyond the pictures; he has a deep vision and observes the beauty of Allah’s creation in the universe. I believe his photos leave a spiritual impact on everyone who sees them. The World Assembly of Muslim Youth has not hesitated to spend time and money to invite Peter Sanders to the Kingdom,” she said, adding, “It is not everyday that Peter Sanders comes to town. I am sure he is going to touch many souls and hearts just as I felt when I saw his photographs.”
The exhibition tonight is open to all members of the public, starting at 7 p.m. and ending at around 9 p.m. Yesterday’s session was invite-only.
Between 1989 and 1993, Sanders documented the expansion of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. He has hosted exhibitions on the Kingdom at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in London and has also worked with the Saudi in-flight magazine, Ahlan Wasahlan.
Sanders’ book, “In the Shade of the Tree: A Photographic Odyssey Through the Muslim World,” published in 2002, is a collection of images of Muslim life from around the globe. The book includes shots of mosques — including Beijing’s 1,000-year-old Niujie Mosque.
