October History & Heritage Months (Secondary)

Praying to the west : how Muslims shaped the Americas

Mouallem, Omar, 1985-,


Omar Mouallem grew up in a Muslim household, but always questioned the role of Islam in his life. As an adult, he used his voice to criticize what he saw as the harms of organized religion. But none of that changed the way others saw him. Now, as a father, he fears the challenges his children will no doubt face as Western nations become increasingly nativist and hostile toward their heritage. In Praying to the West, Mouallem explores the unknown history of Islam across the Americas, traveling to thirteen unique mosques in search of an answer to how this religion has survived and thrived so far from the place of its origin. From California to Quebec, and from Brazil to Canada's icy north, he meets the members of fascinating communities, all of whom provide different perspectives on what it means to be Muslim.
Date Published:2021

Omar Mouallem grew up in a Muslim household, but always questioned the role of Islam in his life. As an adult, he used his voice to criticize what he saw as the harms of organized religion. But none of that changed the way others saw him. Now, as a father, he fears the challenges his children will no doubt face as Western nations become increasingly nativist and hostile toward their heritage. In Praying to the West, Mouallem explores the unknown history of Islam across the Americas, traveling to thirteen unique mosques in search of an answer to how this religion has survived and thrived so far from the place of its origin. From California to Quebec, and from Brazil to Canada's icy north, he meets the members of fascinating communities, all of whom provide different perspectives on what it means to be Muslim.

Date Published:2021

We have always been here : a queer Muslim memoir

Habib, Samra.


A queer Muslim searches for the language to express her truest self, making peace with her sexuality, her family, and Islam. Growing up in Pakistan, Samra Habib lacks a blueprint for the life she wants. She has a mother who gave up everything to be a pious, dutiful wife and an overprotective father who seems to conspire against a life of any adventure. Plus, she has to hide the fact that she's Ahmadi to avoid persecution from religious extremists. As the threats against her family increase, they seek refuge in Canada, where new financial and cultural obstacles await them. When Samra discovers that her mother has arranged her marriage, she must again hide a part of herself--the fun-loving, feminist teenager that has begun to bloom--until she simply can't any longer. So begins a journey of self-discovery that takes her to Tokyo, where she comes to terms with her sexuality, and to a queer-friendly mosque in Toronto, where she returns to her faith in the same neighbourhood where she attended her first drag show. Along the way, she learns that the facets of her identity aren't as incompatible as she was led to believe, and that her people had always been there--the world just wasn't ready for them yet.
Date Published:2019

A queer Muslim searches for the language to express her truest self, making peace with her sexuality, her family, and Islam. Growing up in Pakistan, Samra Habib lacks a blueprint for the life she wants. She has a mother who gave up everything to be a pious, dutiful wife and an overprotective father who seems to conspire against a life of any adventure. Plus, she has to hide the fact that she's Ahmadi to avoid persecution from religious extremists. As the threats against her family increase, they seek refuge in Canada, where new financial and cultural obstacles await them. When Samra discovers that her mother has arranged her marriage, she must again hide a part of herself--the fun-loving, feminist teenager that has begun to bloom--until she simply can't any longer. So begins a journey of self-discovery that takes her to Tokyo, where she comes to terms with her sexuality, and to a queer-friendly mosque in Toronto, where she returns to her faith in the same neighbourhood where she attended her first drag show. Along the way, she learns that the facets of her identity aren't as incompatible as she was led to believe, and that her people had always been there--the world just wasn't ready for them yet.

Date Published:2019

The wonders we seek : thirty incredible Muslims who helped shape the world

Faruqi, Saadia,


Al-Ma'mun -- Al-Zahrawi -- Ibn al-Haytham -- Ibn Sina -- Saladin -- Razia Sultan -- Jalal al-Din Rumi -- Ibn Battuta -- Zheng He -- Abdul Rahman Ibrahim -- Nana Asma'u -- Naguib Mahfouz -- Noor Inayat Khan -- Malcolm X -- Mohammad Abdus Salam -- Fazlur Rahman Khan -- Ayub Khan Ommaya -- Farouk El-Baz -- Fatima Mernissi -- Muhammad Yunus -- Muhammad Ali -- Rebiya Kadeer -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- Shirin Ebadi -- Yusuf/Cat Stevens -- Benazir Bhutto -- Rana Dajani -- Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy -- Ibtihaj Muhammad -- Malala Yousafzai. Discover the lives, stories, and accomplishments of many great accomplishments of many great Muslims throughout history. Many of the inventions and discoveries that we use in our lives today were created centuries ago -- during the golden age of Muslim empires and beyond. Art, music, astronomy, physics, mathematics, medicine, and so many other files of knowledge were shared and created and discussed in Arabia, Persia, Iraq, and India a very, very long time ago. This tradition of Muslim learning, dedication, and progress continues all across our world up to today.
Date Published:2022

Al-Ma'mun -- Al-Zahrawi -- Ibn al-Haytham -- Ibn Sina -- Saladin -- Razia Sultan -- Jalal al-Din Rumi -- Ibn Battuta -- Zheng He -- Abdul Rahman Ibrahim -- Nana Asma'u -- Naguib Mahfouz -- Noor Inayat Khan -- Malcolm X -- Mohammad Abdus Salam -- Fazlur Rahman Khan -- Ayub Khan Ommaya -- Farouk El-Baz -- Fatima Mernissi -- Muhammad Yunus -- Muhammad Ali -- Rebiya Kadeer -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- Shirin Ebadi -- Yusuf/Cat Stevens -- Benazir Bhutto -- Rana Dajani -- Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy -- Ibtihaj Muhammad -- Malala Yousafzai. Discover the lives, stories, and accomplishments of many great accomplishments of many great Muslims throughout history. Many of the inventions and discoveries that we use in our lives today were created centuries ago -- during the golden age of Muslim empires and beyond. Art, music, astronomy, physics, mathematics, medicine, and so many other files of knowledge were shared and created and discussed in Arabia, Persia, Iraq, and India a very, very long time ago. This tradition of Muslim learning, dedication, and progress continues all across our world up to today.

Date Published:2022