Does This Picture Look Like A Thousand Words?

(Christians protect Muslims during prayer in the midst of the uprisings in Cairo, Egypt, in 2011.)

 What I see in the picture are people praying and holding their heads low. There are banners and buildings in the background. It looks like there are more males than females.  There are two men holding hands. One of the men is smiling and the other seems to be guiding him while looking off into the distance. These two men, along with those on the ground, seem united for a reason. One of them has some sort of flyer or paper in his hand; I can’t make out the words/message. The facial hair on the men seems to be mustaches and beards. The year or time of the picture seems to be modern or present because of the clothing and the items all around the picture. The people on the ground, kneeling, seem to be facing something. They are all facing the same direction, thus I assume something important is before them. They seem to be united to do something. All the men present in this picture are in jackets, coats, sweaters, and anything to keep warm. The banners seem to sway as (maybe) wind blows it. There are many colors, but especially dark ones, in this picture. There are strange lights in the background as well. They look like balls of fire, almost flame like, but closer to red balls of light. They look like the main attraction if it weren’t for the fact that most of the men have their heads bowed. There can be a stage where the balls of light are at, around the middle of the three balls of light to the far right. The main attraction can be placed there for all to see. Everything is beautiful and unique in the picture, almost as if time has frozen for everyone to see the contents of this picture. You can see many things in this picture.

What seems to be happening is some kind of prayer type of thing. It could also be a type of reunion between all these people. As I see the few faces, they are almost protective of each other. There is an expression of happiness on one of them, so I assume they are happy about something to come.  But there is also worry in some of them as well. They are in some kind of danger and they are expecting it.  The weather seems cold and some of the men are trying to keep warm. The banners sway and seem to almost fall on top of these people. On the sides, there appears to be some other signs or boxes with different colors (other than white ones like the banners near the people on the ground).  At this point, anything can really happen in the picture.  There could be buildings falling on top of these humans. There can be bombings and shootings, killing thousands! The prayer can end in a disaster that no one expected. The praying can end up with all these people marching off to protest against something, maybe, to do with religious beliefs. These people could also all be homeless and go out to find homes for themselves. This can be a funeral for someone famous or important to these people. Most people would assume they are unhappy, but what if they are not? These people can be happier than you right now. You can assume what you want in this picture. They look like they can be doing anything we want, so anything can happen. Or nothing can happen; it is just some normal prayer with many people joining in.

Although the picture freezes time, there are things that are GOING to happen in the picture. These things, or rather events, are inevitable because of the situation this photo has captured. There is an uprising going on in this picture. It was taken during the uprising in Cairo, Egypt in 2011. There are Christians and Muslims involved, they are praying with each other. Christians are protecting the Muslims, who are doing most of the praying while on their knees.  It is like a war zone here and they are in danger of anything the Egyptian protesters are capable of. The Christians protect the Muslims as they pray and make sure no harm is done to them. What is going to happen is that there is going to be many protesters trying to have their grievances heard. Their prayers might be interrupted, but this won’t stop them and the unity between both religions keeps them strong. Many people will die, even though this picture does not show it. Many innocent people will die while the Egyptians protest in Cairo. These people will continue to pray as the Christians watch over them.  All of these things are going to happen in the picture.

This picture truly makes me wonder what it was like to be there. Although, the photo itself presents no danger, it gives off a feeling of worry and patience. Worry because of what is happening and patience because it looks like these people are waiting for something or someone. The arrangement of the people also presents a type of peacefulness. I believe this is because of their praying and low heads. There is happiness in the face of a man as well, so it erases some of the worry I feel when I see the picture. The picture asks me a question. It asks if I can guess what is happening. It begs me to analyze the picture and determine the answer. I have no other choice, but to do so. This picture catches my eye, as it is one of the most powerful photographs ever taken! You can feel the unity between all the people in this picture. They are all different and are there for a purpose. The picture makes you wonder if they survived. It makes me wonder about what if I was there, would I have survived? These questions give you a description of the picture and your own opinion.