KUALA LUMPUR: The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Malaysia in cooperation with the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) is holding a photo exhibition titled 'Honour Kalbhi - Muslim Communities in Venezuela'.
Supported by the the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, the exhibition presents photographs by Venezuelan photographer Laila Saab Chemekh, who hails from Cabimas, Zulia in Venezuela.
It showcases photographs that capture the world of Arab Muslim women in the Venezuelan context.
"We are not often exposed to the lives of Latin Americans and without exhibitions like this, we might never have thought that there are 10,000 Muslims in Venezuela.
"This exhibition allows us to open our minds to the fact that in other countries there are people who practice the same traditions as us," said Islamic Tourism Centre of Malaysia Director-General Zulkifly Md Said.
Ambassador Manuel Guzman said that Muslims in Venezuela are active, peaceful and live in an integrated society.
“We are an open society, we don’t talk about religion as everyone is equal there and everyone helps in the development of the country.
“Although we do not have an Islamic tourism sector like Malaysia, you can easily find mosques and halal food in Venezuela,” he said.
'Honour Kalbhi' won Chemekh the National Prize of Culture of Venezuela in 2009. She is the first Venezuelan photographer to hold an exhibition at IAMM.
‘Honour Kalbhi’ had previously been presented in Germany, Qatar and Spain before making its way to Malaysia.
The exhibition ends on May 31. IAMM is open daily from 10am to 6pm. Entrance fees are RM14 for adults, RM7 for students and senior citizens and free for children below six-years-old.