Reuters photographer Ammar Awad photographs and talks to Palestinians who are jumping on the trend of taking selfies during Ramadan at al-Aqsa Mosque, an eighth-century Muslim shrine in Jerusalem. The selfie takers told Awad that the selfies are both a personal memento and for relatives who are unable to visit the ancient compound.
Al-Aqsa has been the site of heated confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians for many years. Access is controlled by Israel and limited for Palestinians.
Hussam Abu Daba'a, center, 55, from the West Bank city of Hebron.
"Many of those taking selfies were holding up handwritten notes addressed to relations who were not able to be there." –Ammar Awad
Shadi Etmezeh, left, 25, from the West Bank village of Idna, near Hebron.
Translation: "Take that!"
Muntasser Ne'erat, 31, from the West Bank city of Nablus.
"We take these pictures for our family because we really care about them and want them to enter al-Aqsa [through the pictures]." –Ameer Taha
Dafer Kaloteer, 48, from Jerusalem.
Dahud Hamad, 48, from the West Bank city of Hebron.
"We took it as a memory, because maybe we won't be able to come again next Ramadan." –Shorouq
Muhamad Etmezeh, 26, from the West Bank village of Idna, near Hebron.
Salma Salame, left, 27, from the Arab-Israeli town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye.
"This message is for my relatives and son because they are not allowed to enter Jerusalem." –Ibtisam Thaher, a mother from the West Bank city of Ramallah
Ali Hassan, left, 16, from the West Bank city of Hebron.
Ammer Ali, 17, from the West Bank city of Nablus.
Salma Salame, 27, from the Arab-Israeli town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye.
"I just wanted to capture a piece of personal history. I haven't been to al-Aqsa for 20 years; it's a memory from al-Aqsa that I will post on Facebook." –Mahdi al-Karaki, from Hebron in the West Bank
Ali Souwan, 12, with friends from the West Bank city of Hebron.
Hakem Shtayeh, center, 28, from the West Bank city of Nablus.
"They wanted to have a presence at al-Aqsa during Ramadan. I hope that I achieved their wish and that God considers that they prayed here." –Ibtisam Thaher
Sanaa Abu Jaudi, left, 16, from the West Bank city of Jenin.
#فلسطين #المسجد_الاقصى
Translation: "We do not need a permit to enter Jerusalem."
Nura Darawshe, 40, from the West Bank village of Turmus Aya, near Nablus.
Muhamad Younis, right, 14, from the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Nura Hassan, 17, from the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from Gaza, the West Bank, and across the globe will visit the mosque during Ramadan this year.