Feu Sans Fumée

Feu Sans Fumée (Made Of Smokeless Fire) is an exploration of LGBTQIA+ identities within Muslim culture in France.

Feu Sans Fumée (Made Of Smokeless Fire) is an exploration of LGBTQIA+ identities within Muslim culture in France. This project is an homage to my uncle Farid who passed away in 2013. Without the ability to speak with him, I turned towards other people carrying these plural identities, often underrepresented and misunderstood.

France has the largest proportion of Muslims in the Western world, according to the latest Special Eurobarometer 493 (2019) the Muslim population in France is estimated to be 5% or 3.35 million. But still, islamophobia is omnipresent. What is the experience of living at the intersection of discrimination from sexual orientation, gender identity and racism? Where can you find positive representation? How do you redefine your religious and cultural heritage?

Although some have had to cut ties with their family, others have reinterpreted the Quran, found ways to heal with their parents, nurtured welcoming and safe community spaces in France. There isn’t a single story. With radical empathy, using both text and portraits, this project aims to create a resource for multi-layered queer identity, for the community and those outside of it, exploring and celebrating the different interpretation of Muslim culture.