Allah O Akbar

Allah O Akbar begins the call to prayer that resonates around minarets in towns and villages from Sinkiang to Morocco, from Paris to Timbuktu. Wherever in the world you are, the message is the same: 'God is Great.' It is also, however, the cry of fundamentalists throughout the lands of the faithful. Abbas, a member of the prestigious photo agency Magnum, has spent seven years travelling through the Islamic world to capture the diverse and striking images that make up this extraordinary personal diary. As a photojournalist he has covered major political events in the developing world including wars and revolutions, driven by a desire to understand and expose the intricacy of the internal strains pulling within Muslim societies. Abbas is undoubtedly one of the world's leading makers of the 'telling' picture, and the combined immediacy and subtlety of the photographic images create a constant visual stimulus.

Born in Iran in 1944, Abbas came to the West, where he is based in Paris. As a photojournalist published by magazines worldwide, he has covered major political events in the developing world, including wars and revolutions. His books include Iran, La Révolution Confisquée and Return to Mexico. He is a member of the prestigious photo agency Magnum.

'His book fulfils one of the classic roles of great photojournalism, in that it helps both to illuminate an issue and to understand its complexities.' (British Journal of Photography)