Syed captures moments in the day-to-day lives of these Muslim women that the average American can relate to once they “embrace” the fact that she covers her hair. The accompanying photo captions and personal quotes flesh out the dimensions of these women’s lives. In the faces of a dancer, a surfer-girl, a biker, a triathlete, and even a boxer you hear their voices, and touch their thoughts, dreams, struggles, and fears. With each page, a stereotype is shattered and the misunderstandings that surround the female followers of a faith of 1.8 billion diminish. iCOVER has garnered significant publicity both domestically and internationally.
Syed was recruited by the Chicago History Museum and hired as a photographer in March 2019 to photograph Muslim Chicagoans sharing their stories of faith, identity, and personal journeys for the new exhibition, American Medina which made its debut on October 21, 2019, at the Chicago History Museum.