Middle East in Review
Middle East in Review is a monthly gallery that features some of the top photojournalism made by AP staff photographers and freelancers based in AP’s Middle East, Afghanistan & Pakistan region.
September was steeped in ritual, both for Jews and for Shiite Muslims. The faithful marked Muharram, a mourning period commemorating the 7th century death of Imam Hussein, a key Shiite saint and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammed. In Israel, faithful took part in Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
In Iraq’s Kurdish region, voters went to the polls in a referendum on Kurdish secession from the country. Iraq’s military took control of the international borders of the northern Kurdish region. The move is part of the central government’s stepped-up efforts to isolate the Kurds following their vote on independence earlier this week.
This gallery was curated by Maya Alleruzzo, Chief Associated Press photo editor for the Mideast, Afghanistan & Pakistan.