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At a time when hate crimes against the Muslim community have soared to their highest levels since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, a small but growing number of American Muslims are buying guns as they worry about their safety.

You can read and listen to their stories here

We asked Amr Alfiky, an Egyptian documentary photographer and filmmaker, who spent days with Muslim gun owners in Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma and Virginia, about his experience.

Why did you decide to pursue gun culture in the Muslim community?

The Parkland shooting ignited a large conversation around gun control. I noticed that the majority of the debate centered the voices of this country’s most powerful: white men. For this reason, I tried to shed a light on a group that has not involved themselves in the gun debate, but have existed within it, unheard and dismissed; Muslim gun owners in the United States are often marginalized and have faced hate and discrimination.

I tried to explore what it means to own a gun when you’re Muslim by focusing on the voices of a marginalized group that has stereotypically been seen as a violent threat to the United States. I wanted to learn the reasons behind their ownership, their relationships with other Muslims and their weapons, and their views on gun control.