Imam Ali selling tacos in Mexico City?



A friend on Facebook sent me this picture because he knows my religious background. He said he was walking by a taco shop recently when he saw this advertisement. It reads in Spanish: "Come on in, dude!"



Above it is an image widely used by Shia Muslims to depict Imam Ali, their spiritual leader. He asked me if it's the same image? 😂



He said, when he inquired at the taco shop about the reason for Imam Ali's image on the advertisement, they had no idea about its origin!



I told him that this image is not actually of Imam Ali. However, it's circulated among Shia communities in Iran as a portrayal of Imam Ali, in a way that aligns with their aesthetic standards there! Despite historical sources describing Imam Ali differently, as having dark skin and a fuller physique.



In Mexico, they've creatively repurposed the image, using it in this different context! https://gw.ipfs-lens.dev/ipfs/bafybeih6u3rdu627fdy7642fuxzusxbskdbfzvzswql7wawozxk3ql5qdy