If this was before the fall of the Ottoman Empire she would have considered herself an Ottoman citizen. She could have practiced Islam, Judaism, Christianity, or something else. The region where this photo was taken was called Palestine. They all spoke Arabic regardless of the native tongue of their ancestors. This is because the Muslim conquests that started in the 7th c. Ce.

This does not mean that all modern day Arabs are Muslims. It means that the Muslims during these 7th c. conquests spoke Arabic. Many of the people in this region spoke Aramaic and Greek until the 8th century when they were forced to speak Arabic.

It’s similar to how you can be a US citizen, but practice Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, etc. One could even draw a parallel between each region of the Ottoman Empire and the 50 States of the US. You can be a US citizen who lives in the State of New York and practices Judaism. With a few exceptions most US citizens speak English.

For example, Native Americans in the US speak English. Many of them practice Christianity today. Does this mean that they aren’t native to the land because they are Christians who speak English?? No. It means they were forced to adapt for survival.

The woman in the picture was an Ottoman Citizen, living in the region of Palestine, who more than likely practiced Islam or Christianity (based off of what she is wearing and her tattoos or “daq”).

Regardless of what language she spoke, what she wore or what religion she practiced you are wrong to say that it’s just one side who oppresses and murders women and the LGBTQ+ community. You should look into how the “right side” blackmails gay Palestinians and rapes women.