allah project | مَشْرُوعْ الله | mashrouʿ allah in the name of god’ is one of many expressions commonly used amongst locals from different religious beliefs in lebanon. the frequent repetition and usage of these religious expressions across decades, however, have slightly altered their meaning. today, these expressions are context-specific and personal, not standard across societies. the word god or ‘allah’ can express frustration or distress at times, and in others, the word is used to express false hope, like ‘inshallah’ depending on the socio-political context. the predominant and embedded patriarchal system in lebanon has led people to project the intangible figure of allah onto the portraits of warlords that still rule the system. the political manifestation of the 18 muslim and christian sects has had immediate impact on the control of the masses and subsequent survival of the fittest. the greater the instrumentalisation of religion, the further the concept and visual representation of allah has become unfounded.

Special thanks: naira nigrelli, rita abou nasr, elie mouhanna, elie asmar,