By Jannet Walsh
Murdock, Minnesota
Can’t we just get along?
Jannet Walsh, left, wears a hijab in 2006 while working on the multimedia project “Muslims in Marion” in Ocala, Florida.
In 2006, while working as a staff photographer at the Star-Banner, a regional newspaper of the New York Times Company, my big project for the year was a multimedia project, both still images and audio, producing three SoundSlides shows on local Muslims living in the county of Marion, in Ocala, Florida.
Click here to view full blog with links.
View project Muslims in Marion Audio Slideshows
Muslim Daily Life Part 1 of 3
What is Islam? Part 2 of 3
Spiritual Journey Part 3 of 3
Read related stories by writer Rick Cundiff. We worked as a team on the “Muslims in Marion” project in 2006 for the Star-Banner and ocala.com.
Muslims feel at home in Marion County
Locals spiritual journeys take separate paths
Please read Rick’s comments posted below:
Jannet, as your partner on that project, I couldn’t agree with you more. The warm welcome we received from the local Muslim community was completely at odds with the anti-Muslim sentiments were hearing now from so many so-called “good Christians. As I’m sure you did, I learned a tremendous amount from the project, and also was quite proud of how it turned out. I’d also like to point out that the beliefs of the extremist minister north of here in Gainesville do not reflect the views of mainstream Christian churches here in North Central Florida.
The project was one of my more challenging attempts in journalism, but the hard work had a great outcome. The project Muslims in Marion multimedia project was nominated for the Chairman’s Award October 2006 from the New York Times Regional Media Group and was part of my entry that received the Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism Contest 2007, Third Place for photo essay, along with a new convent of nuns in Ocala, Florida multimedia project.
The photo above is one that I took myself at the local Ocala Islamic Center, in Ocala, with one of the young ladies after photographing in the women’s prayer room. I made the photo by simply turning my camera around facing us, and started shooting. In the realm of photojournalism schools, this is called a Hail Mary shot as is only with a prayer you can get the photo, as you are not looking in the viewfinder!
I am wearing a hijab, or in Arabic meaning cover, that was pinned and fashioned by one of the ladies I meet. I only wore the scarf or veil in the prayer rooms. I must say I was delighted to have the access to make the beautiful photos you can see in my project.
Perhaps the project will give you more understanding of current issues. Let’s just get along.
Native Minnesotan Jannet Walsh is a blogger, columnist, journalist, photojournalist, terrier owner, hula hooper and more! Contact her at jannetwalsh@gmail.com. View her other blog at http://jannetwalsh.blogspot.com/.
Minnesota Native Daughter 
Sure we can get along…What we need is to Turn back to God. “One Nation Under God.” Then there will be peace.
vi
Jannet, as your partner on that project, I couldn’t agree with you more. The warm welcome we received from the local Muslim community was completely at odds with the anti-Muslim sentiments we’re hearing now from so many so-called “good Christians.” As I’m sure you did, I learned a tremendous amount from the project, and also was quite proud of how it turned out. I’d also like to point out that the beliefs of the extremist minister north of here in Gainesville do not reflect the views of mainstream Christian churches here in North Central Florida.
Rick
Hey Rick!
I was going to look to see if your written stories are still posted and link them. Thanks for posting. I’m going to link.
Wishing you and Heather Ann a warm day, as it is wet and cold in Minnesota today!
Jannet