Ahmed Alghasra became interested in photography while capturing daily life and streetscapes in his native Bahrain. Since then, Ahmed has traveled the world extensively and shared photographic impressions of his travels with his many social media followers. As a committed and prominent activist, Ahmed has taken his interest in citizen movements with him on his travels, such as by photographing labor rallies in Sweden. More recently, he has been capturing demonstrations at home, as Bahrainis have taken to the streets to express their solidarity with the Palestinians. As a member of the Bahraini Society Against Normalization, which opposes Bahrain’s ties with Israel and works to increase activism regarding the Palestinian cause, Ahmed has wed his art with his advocacy, providing a visual platform for these advocates and helping their message reach a wider audience.

Ahmed is not alone in his activism. Gulf citizens have been actively working to provide much-needed financial and political support to the people of Gaza. In Kuwait, this has been a collective effort, with donation drives organized by private relief agencies, cooperative societies, and international humanitarian agencies, such as the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society. Civil society organizations, including youth and student groups, have called for the Kuwaiti government to join South Africa in holding Israel accountable before the International Court of Justice. In the United Arab Emirates, crowdfunding campaigns have been organized to support Palestinians in need of assistance.

Supporters of the Palestinians in the Gulf have also launched commercial boycott campaigns to express their opposition to Israel and its supporters over the Gaza war. The Bahrain Society Against Normalization has urged supporters not to underestimate their ability to realize change and to persevere with boycotts of well-known U.S. brands such as Starbucks and McDonalds “until liberation.” Similarly, the Kuwait Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement has called for a boycott of the French Carrefour supermarket chain, citing partnerships with Israeli companies and agreements to sell goods produced in settlements in the occupied territories. Boycott activists have been encouraged by Puma’s decision to end its sponsorship of the Israeli national football, or soccer, team, although the company insists it was done for financial reasons. Other solidarity activities have included a “fly a kite for Gaza” children’s event in Kuwait in January and popular demonstrations to express opposition to Bahrain’s participation in the U.S.-led Red Sea maritime coalition.

AGSIW spoke to Ahmed to dissect the Palestinian solidarity campaigns within the Gulf and learn how his photography illustrates public life in the Gulf today and the sentiments of Gulf youth toward the Gaza conflict.

AGSIW: What brought you to photography?

Ahmed: My passion for photography started really early, so maybe I inherited it from my father. I like to capture life, Bahrain, and the surroundings, so that’s how I came up with it.

AGSIW: Much of your work centers on capturing streetscapes, both in Bahrain and other places you visit. How does your practice differ when at home and when traveling?

Ahmed: At home, you are familiar with all the scenes, so maybe it’s harder to capture the moments that would make a good picture. You think, “Okay, this is just a normal street, or this is a normal scene.” But that’s the challenge. If you’re traveling, all the scenes are new for you, so you’ll have a different perspective on how you see the scenes and streets.

AGSIW: What are some of the ways you’ve captured youth culture and public life in the Gulf today? Do you have a favorite event?

Ahmed: It’s hard to say what my favorite event is. Since I love Formula One, capturing the Bahrain Grand Prix is really interesting on a sporting level. But in terms of events, the protests taking place over the Gaza war are really important to document. So, each domain and each event has a different flavor, and it’s important to capture them on their own terms.

AGSIW: You mentioned the demonstrations that took place in Bahrain in support of the people of Gaza. How did you approach the demonstrations, and what did you learn from photographing them?

Ahmed: Well, I am a member of the Bahraini Society Against Normalization movement in Bahrain, so it’s part of my duty to capture these events, document them and show the world, and, of course, to show the Palestinians that we are supporting them and are with them. This is the least we can do. Each member volunteers in one domain, and this is my domain since I do photography. So, I use photography as a way to support the Palestinians.

AGSIW: Can you tell us about some of the other organizations and activities in Bahrain and the Gulf working to support the Palestinians?

Ahmed: There are many, many events and many organizations. For example, this Gulf coalition for anti-normalization has multiple chapters within it, such as BDS Kuwait. There are also youth sections opposing the normalization of relations with Israel in every country in the Gulf. We work together to support the Palestinians and oppose normalization with Israel, for instance by publicizing our events on talk shows and holding forums. But in Bahrain, maybe we’re fortunate to have more freedom. We have been protesting continuously for three months now, both against specific incidents and against the broader genocide that’s happening in Palestine.

AGSIW: What have been some of the successes of these movements, whether in political advocacy or humanitarian support?

Ahmed: Well, I’m not sure if we can claim success or not. If people see the photos of the demonstrations, maybe they’ll ask and be curious about what’s happening, what’s going on, and why we’re protesting. So, this opens topics and conversations about what’s happening in Gaza. So, of course it will increase awareness.

But people in Bahrain, both foreign residents and citizens, almost all oppose the Israeli presence in Bahrain and the Abraham Accords. So, I believe pressure from the people in Bahrain is one thing that led to the departure of the Israeli ambassador, and hopefully we can close the embassy one day. Regionally or in the bigger picture, the BDS movement has a big impact as well, especially in boycotts, which are a really, really powerful tool that the people in the Gulf are supporting. So, for example, companies such as McDonald’s have lost revenue from their Gulf market share. The same is true for Starbucks and other companies. There are other successful cases – for example, Puma stopped working with the Israeli football team. So, there are small steps.

AGSIW: What has your travel photography and advocacy taught you about youth culture?

Ahmed: Travel is a really great way to learn about different cultures and different people around the world. And if you travel to other cultures, you will see their struggles and how activists work together to achieve their goals. I remember one time I was in Sweden on May Day and Labor Day. It was just a coincidence that I was there when they were holding a beautiful labor protest and was able to photograph it. So, of course, traveling and photography always allow you to learn and enrich yourself from others’ perspectives.

AGSIW: Do you find that youth in the Gulf today are less political?

Ahmed: I believe young people are more interested and more involved. There are a lot of movements and pressure campaigns, whether online or offline and in the streets. There are a lot of campaigns on social media educating people about how Israel is conducting genocide in Palestine, for instance, and how the unlawful Israeli occupation didn’t begin following October 7 but rather more than 70 years ago. It is a good chance for young people to learn what they didn’t know before, and a lot of young people are evolving and getting educated more about the struggle of the Palestinians.

AGSIW: Do you have any future plans for both your photography and advocacy?

Ahmed: More than 20 demonstrations have been held in Bahrain since October 7. My goal is to collect photos from these events and perhaps hold an exhibition, a charity event to support the people of Gaza. And then we can support them to rebuild Gaza. I hope we can do this. But for now, I don’t think I can do any photography other than this. While the people are struggling, I would feel silly if I were just taking photos of happy people or people in the streets. So, all my work is about Palestine protests.