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Praying to the West: How Muslims Shaped the Americas
* Winner of the Wilfrid Eggleston Award for Nonfiction *
*Selected as a Most Anticipated Book of Fall by The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star *
An insightful and perspective-shifting new book, from a celebrated journalist, about reclaiming identity and revealing the surprising history of the Muslim diaspora in the west—from the establishment of Canada’s first mosque through to the long-lasting effects of 9/11 and the devastating Quebec City mosque shooting.
“Until recently, Muslim identity was imposed on me. But I feel different about my religious heritage in the era of ISIS and Trumpism, Rohingya and Uyghur genocides, ethnonationalism and misinformation. I’m compelled to reclaim the thing that makes me a target. I’ve begun to examine Islam closely with an eye for how it has shaped my values, politics, and connection to my roots. No doubt, Islam has a place within me. But do I have a place within it?”
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. Along this journey he comes to understand that Islam has played a fascinating role in how the Americas were shaped—from industrialization to the changing winds of politics. And he also discovers that there may be a place for Islam in his own life, particularly as a father, even if he will never be a true believer.
Original, insightful, and beautifully told, Praying to the West reveals a secret history of home and the struggle for belonging taking place in towns and cities across the Americas, and points to a better, more inclusive future for everyone.
*Selected as a Most Anticipated Book of Fall by The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star *
An insightful and perspective-shifting new book, from a celebrated journalist, about reclaiming identity and revealing the surprising history of the Muslim diaspora in the west—from the establishment of Canada’s first mosque through to the long-lasting effects of 9/11 and the devastating Quebec City mosque shooting.
“Until recently, Muslim identity was imposed on me. But I feel different about my religious heritage in the era of ISIS and Trumpism, Rohingya and Uyghur genocides, ethnonationalism and misinformation. I’m compelled to reclaim the thing that makes me a target. I’ve begun to examine Islam closely with an eye for how it has shaped my values, politics, and connection to my roots. No doubt, Islam has a place within me. But do I have a place within it?”
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. Along this journey he comes to understand that Islam has played a fascinating role in how the Americas were shaped—from industrialization to the changing winds of politics. And he also discovers that there may be a place for Islam in his own life, particularly as a father, even if he will never be a true believer.
Original, insightful, and beautifully told, Praying to the West reveals a secret history of home and the struggle for belonging taking place in towns and cities across the Americas, and points to a better, more inclusive future for everyone.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published September 21, 2021
16 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
Omar Mouallem
1 book21 followersOmar Mouallem is an author, journalist, and documentary filmmaker known for his ability to intertwine human interest stories with world history and broad social issues. His travel memoir, Praying to the West: How Muslims Shaped the Americas, which was named one of the Globe and Mail’s 100 best books of 2021, won the Nautilus Book Award for Multicultural & Indigenous stories and was nominated for two Alberta Literary Book Awards in the categories of Memoir and Nonfiction. His writing, which often focuses on Muslim and Middle Eastern life, has also appeared in VICE, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian, and won three Canadian National Magazine Awards.
Omar also coauthored the national bestseller Inside the Inferno: A Firefighter’s Story of the Brotherhood that Saved Fort McMurray and co-directed Digging in the Dirt (with Dylan Rhys Howard). A raw look at the psychological toll of oil and gas labour, the film was selected by Hot Docs for its Eye on Alberta series and was nominated for three Alberta Film & Television Awards, including long-form documentary. His 2021 short film The Last Baron was hailed as “one of the best Canadian food documentaries” by Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and is currently being expanded into a feature retitled The Lebanese Burger Mafia.
As an educator, Omar teaches the business of freelance journalism and creative nonfiction at various schools, including his own—Pandemic University School of Writing, a pop-up school he founded in support of writers affected by the COVID-19 fallout, which has been attended by more than 3,500 people from 60 countries.
Omar also coauthored the national bestseller Inside the Inferno: A Firefighter’s Story of the Brotherhood that Saved Fort McMurray and co-directed Digging in the Dirt (with Dylan Rhys Howard). A raw look at the psychological toll of oil and gas labour, the film was selected by Hot Docs for its Eye on Alberta series and was nominated for three Alberta Film & Television Awards, including long-form documentary. His 2021 short film The Last Baron was hailed as “one of the best Canadian food documentaries” by Air Canada’s enRoute magazine and is currently being expanded into a feature retitled The Lebanese Burger Mafia.
As an educator, Omar teaches the business of freelance journalism and creative nonfiction at various schools, including his own—Pandemic University School of Writing, a pop-up school he founded in support of writers affected by the COVID-19 fallout, which has been attended by more than 3,500 people from 60 countries.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 26, 2022
ARC from Simon & Schuster
Super interesting historical look at some of the first Mosques in the Americas. The book was less about how Islam or Muslims shaped Americas, and more about how Muslims have been here for a lot longer than most think. Some of the oldest Mosques opened in the 1920s (if I remember correctly), and in some unexpected places! Like Canadian Prairies or Chiapas, Mexico, or my favourite in Inuvik, NWT.
I liked how Omar had a personal connection to everything he was writing about, having been raised Muslim, he was able to translate his feelings really well and made me more interested in what I was reading.
I think my only issue is I expected more of a historical look and that wasn't it. Omar tended to keep things in the present, not spending a lot of time in the past. It was still a good book, and if it was marketed differently I wouldn't have spent almost a third waiting for some kind of historical account.
Super interesting historical look at some of the first Mosques in the Americas. The book was less about how Islam or Muslims shaped Americas, and more about how Muslims have been here for a lot longer than most think. Some of the oldest Mosques opened in the 1920s (if I remember correctly), and in some unexpected places! Like Canadian Prairies or Chiapas, Mexico, or my favourite in Inuvik, NWT.
I liked how Omar had a personal connection to everything he was writing about, having been raised Muslim, he was able to translate his feelings really well and made me more interested in what I was reading.
I think my only issue is I expected more of a historical look and that wasn't it. Omar tended to keep things in the present, not spending a lot of time in the past. It was still a good book, and if it was marketed differently I wouldn't have spent almost a third waiting for some kind of historical account.
November 20, 2021
Mediocre, self-indulgent nonsense wherein he writes about the most embarrassing, flimsiest identity crisis and his insistence on identifying as an "atheist Muslim."
For all that the book is supposed to be about the history and presence of Muslims in the Americas, he spends a lot more time going on and on about his atheism and fake spiritual crisis. Dude also outs himself as an awful elitist who thinks he's woke but is really anything but.
Literally only deserves a single star because of the singular interesting chapter on the masjid in Nunavut, a few other snippets about Muslims in Brazil and Mexico, and his interview with a survivor of the Quebec City masjid massacre.
Do not waste your time or money on this rubbish.
For all that the book is supposed to be about the history and presence of Muslims in the Americas, he spends a lot more time going on and on about his atheism and fake spiritual crisis. Dude also outs himself as an awful elitist who thinks he's woke but is really anything but.
Literally only deserves a single star because of the singular interesting chapter on the masjid in Nunavut, a few other snippets about Muslims in Brazil and Mexico, and his interview with a survivor of the Quebec City masjid massacre.
Do not waste your time or money on this rubbish.
September 20, 2021
I’ve always been an admirer of Omar’s writing, especially some of his thoughtful, long form pieces. But this book was a huge disappointment.
The writer goes on a promising journey to uncover diversity within the world’s second largest religion, but the end result is a superficial, attention-seeking, thoughtless, and convoluted series of takes. Shoddy research and a personal political agenda turns what could have been a significant pluralistic endeavor into a hack job not worthy of your time.
Instead of reading this book, spend the time to go watch his new documentary film The Last Baron on CBC.
The writer goes on a promising journey to uncover diversity within the world’s second largest religion, but the end result is a superficial, attention-seeking, thoughtless, and convoluted series of takes. Shoddy research and a personal political agenda turns what could have been a significant pluralistic endeavor into a hack job not worthy of your time.
Instead of reading this book, spend the time to go watch his new documentary film The Last Baron on CBC.
January 2, 2022
While a few sections of the book were a bit dense and hard to parse, the overall diversity Mouallem reports is illuminating and was particularly eye-opening for me. While there is some discussion of various Muslim groups' historical roles, that's not quite the emphasis of the book as the title might suggest. The organization of the book was not chronological based on Mouallem's journeys, and the overall organization was a bit opaque to me. However, the separate investigations of Muslim plurality were generally well-told and infused with enough of Mouallem's personal journey to be interesting and engaging.
November 8, 2021
A fascinating account of (the many) Islam(s) in the West. Also, I’ve never felt so SEEN.
July 24, 2024
Reading through Omar’s account of his travels to different Mosques/Muslim communities across the Americas was both an enjoyable experience of hearing the many stories of those who inhabit these continents alongside me and a intriguing lesson in the deep history that Islam has long had here.
September 29, 2021
Review ✨
Praying To The West by Omar Mouallem
Rating 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you @simonschusterca and @omar_aok physical ARC copy!
This book is about discovering the history of the Islam community across North America. The author Omar Mouallem is travelling to thirteen unique Mosques across North America to write this wonderful book.
I want to say that somehow I feel deeply related to the author! It’s weird, right! I understand everything that was happening to him with religion, family…..and that is something that I find very similar with me.
The book is very well written. The author had consumed mountains of research to write this biography/autobiography and historical nonfiction book!
I like the most events that were based on Canadian territory. For the terrorist attack in Quebec that happened in 2017, I heard the first time reading this book (probably because I just moved to Canada end of that year). That chapter about the attack was I can’t say good I need to say wonderful, very strong written. Listening to the voices of other people and the person that survived was very emotional and sad. After that, I was doing more research on my own about the attack!
Overall, the book is a worthwhile read!
Mouallem creates the story that will be the turn of the century and he created a close vision of what happened, I mean still happening in today’s society! He completes the vision of the time by writing this book.
PS: @omar_aok I told my wife that I want to visit Midnight Sun Mosque in Inuvik, it will be a fun trip going up!
Praying To The West by Omar Mouallem
Rating 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you @simonschusterca and @omar_aok physical ARC copy!
This book is about discovering the history of the Islam community across North America. The author Omar Mouallem is travelling to thirteen unique Mosques across North America to write this wonderful book.
I want to say that somehow I feel deeply related to the author! It’s weird, right! I understand everything that was happening to him with religion, family…..and that is something that I find very similar with me.
The book is very well written. The author had consumed mountains of research to write this biography/autobiography and historical nonfiction book!
I like the most events that were based on Canadian territory. For the terrorist attack in Quebec that happened in 2017, I heard the first time reading this book (probably because I just moved to Canada end of that year). That chapter about the attack was I can’t say good I need to say wonderful, very strong written. Listening to the voices of other people and the person that survived was very emotional and sad. After that, I was doing more research on my own about the attack!
Overall, the book is a worthwhile read!
Mouallem creates the story that will be the turn of the century and he created a close vision of what happened, I mean still happening in today’s society! He completes the vision of the time by writing this book.
PS: @omar_aok I told my wife that I want to visit Midnight Sun Mosque in Inuvik, it will be a fun trip going up!
November 26, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. The author who was raised Muslim but no longer practices and almost considers himself an atheist or an agnostic, visits various Muslim communities throughout North America. His observances of the people, the way they pray and how they gather is enlightening. I was also really interested because the author lives in my city and is an Albertan by birth. Some of the chapters are uneven but overall very well written. The final chapter was excellent and I appreciated the glossary of Islamic terms. Highly recommended.
June 3, 2022
A very arresting title to a book which attempts an ambitious scope to detail the migration of, the resettling of, and the contributions of Muslims in the Americas. Omar M did considerable research and conducted several interviews which informed the content of his book. He provides an honest perspective and succeeds, among other things, to identify rifts and differences among various Islamic sects and practices.
People who are devout and loyal to one sect will take offense to what is reported but the book is intended to provide that diversity and not to uphold any one sect/or organization as the ideal. I think the book succeeds in debunking the thought of a monolithic religion. I actually enjoy his observations and his reports on the way scriptures are interpreted which inform the way people pray, how they gather, and their overall behaviour and attitudes. The glossary at the end of the book plus the resource section at the end are both useful and enlightening.
This book is also infused with the author's personal upbringing and journey towards self-awareness, religious awakening, and acceptance. Despite the dense nature of the text at times, I find Omar M is able to incorporate humour and personal perspectives to make it very interesting. Referring to his daughter's head scarf as a pink do-rag made me smile and it is clear that he will be an open-minded father who will allow his children the right and the free will to choose their own paths. Despite Omar M's proclamation of being an atheist, I sense that he is grounded in an Islamic upbringing of supplication and charity and kindness to others.
I enjoy the historical snippets and some of the unusual circumstances which see Islam in places such as Inuvik ( would love to visit the mosque there) and the Black Mecca (was not aware of this before) in Brazil. I visited Edmonton and the Al-Hambra in Granada (Spain) and wished I knew of a few more interesting sights over above the standard tourist fare. The passing references to the Uyghur concentration camps, the Rohingya genocide, Hindu nationalist mobs in India, are very sad and shocking given the world's "never again" mantra after the holocaust.
His portrayal of Canadian content, i.e. the Quebec massacre and his historical note (while not new) about the persecution, forced exodus, and subsequent migration of Ismailis to Canada are quite touching. Islamophobia is alive and well in Canada despite how welcoming and diverse, our Prime Minster would like to declare. A quote (in reference to indigenous peoples) by a Muslim Somalian is very telling:
"The image you have of someone from the Third World, you think Canada is paradise until you come and face reality. You don't think there's discrimination, neglected people, people who can't read and write. You wouldn't envision it. You won't comprehend it, until you realize, well, they are just a normal human being, and there's a lot of things that happened in their life."
Abdalla who is quoted above is not preaching Islam to the Inuvik peoples but rather he hopes "to teach Islam by trying to be model citizens".His charitable work in Inuvik is heartening and his food bank is helping many.
Omar M's attempt "to normalise Muslim people in the Christian world, to show that they are no better or worse than everyone else but equally accountable and influential" is feeble at best but is a start to ensure acceptance for this often marginalized group.
I found his depiction of the rivalry and bitterness among varied sects (Ahmaddhi and Sunni and Shia etc.) to be very illuminating especially the various seminary groups (Tablighi and others with roots traced back to South Asia and financing traced back to Arab countries). I never knew of Dearborn in Detroit as an enclave especially for Lebanese Muslims; likewise the progress and community contributions made in Austin, Texas are all new information for me.
Thanks to the author for his research and time. I always appreciate when I learn something new after reading a book. I find your book quite enlightening. Rounded up to 5 stars.
People who are devout and loyal to one sect will take offense to what is reported but the book is intended to provide that diversity and not to uphold any one sect/or organization as the ideal. I think the book succeeds in debunking the thought of a monolithic religion. I actually enjoy his observations and his reports on the way scriptures are interpreted which inform the way people pray, how they gather, and their overall behaviour and attitudes. The glossary at the end of the book plus the resource section at the end are both useful and enlightening.
This book is also infused with the author's personal upbringing and journey towards self-awareness, religious awakening, and acceptance. Despite the dense nature of the text at times, I find Omar M is able to incorporate humour and personal perspectives to make it very interesting. Referring to his daughter's head scarf as a pink do-rag made me smile and it is clear that he will be an open-minded father who will allow his children the right and the free will to choose their own paths. Despite Omar M's proclamation of being an atheist, I sense that he is grounded in an Islamic upbringing of supplication and charity and kindness to others.
I enjoy the historical snippets and some of the unusual circumstances which see Islam in places such as Inuvik ( would love to visit the mosque there) and the Black Mecca (was not aware of this before) in Brazil. I visited Edmonton and the Al-Hambra in Granada (Spain) and wished I knew of a few more interesting sights over above the standard tourist fare. The passing references to the Uyghur concentration camps, the Rohingya genocide, Hindu nationalist mobs in India, are very sad and shocking given the world's "never again" mantra after the holocaust.
His portrayal of Canadian content, i.e. the Quebec massacre and his historical note (while not new) about the persecution, forced exodus, and subsequent migration of Ismailis to Canada are quite touching. Islamophobia is alive and well in Canada despite how welcoming and diverse, our Prime Minster would like to declare. A quote (in reference to indigenous peoples) by a Muslim Somalian is very telling:
"The image you have of someone from the Third World, you think Canada is paradise until you come and face reality. You don't think there's discrimination, neglected people, people who can't read and write. You wouldn't envision it. You won't comprehend it, until you realize, well, they are just a normal human being, and there's a lot of things that happened in their life."
Abdalla who is quoted above is not preaching Islam to the Inuvik peoples but rather he hopes "to teach Islam by trying to be model citizens".His charitable work in Inuvik is heartening and his food bank is helping many.
Omar M's attempt "to normalise Muslim people in the Christian world, to show that they are no better or worse than everyone else but equally accountable and influential" is feeble at best but is a start to ensure acceptance for this often marginalized group.
I found his depiction of the rivalry and bitterness among varied sects (Ahmaddhi and Sunni and Shia etc.) to be very illuminating especially the various seminary groups (Tablighi and others with roots traced back to South Asia and financing traced back to Arab countries). I never knew of Dearborn in Detroit as an enclave especially for Lebanese Muslims; likewise the progress and community contributions made in Austin, Texas are all new information for me.
Thanks to the author for his research and time. I always appreciate when I learn something new after reading a book. I find your book quite enlightening. Rounded up to 5 stars.
October 5, 2021
There's a spirit of generosity, curiosity, and--dare I say it--humour in this book, which lightens the load of a weighty topic. I love a master-craftsman of a storyteller who can take you on a journey in which you feel like you're along for the ride, figuring stuff out at the same time as the author. That's what Omar does here: takes the reader on a thoughtful journey all up and down the Americas to reveal a religious landscape few of us stop to notice. Some of the people he meets are cranks, some are ideologues, some are inspirations, but all have a human dimension that you can appreciate even if you're a 100% secular person as I am.
October 10, 2021
Touching and personal tales, showing a diverse set of experiences in the faith. Rooted in the present but showing the wide history and reach of those with faith. Omar you've written a beautiful book.
December 28, 2021
Both deeply personal and a diverse look at Islam in the Western hemisphere. It shatters any monolithic picture of what it means to be Muslim and explores how Islam shaped culture and vice versa.
February 1, 2022
*3.5 . The information was very interesting but I wish the author spent less time reminiscing and talking about his identity crisis and more time actually documenting the lives of the people who attend the mosques he described. At first I thought that it was nice that he was experiencing a sort of spiritual awakening but then it became a little repetitive when he repeated in every chapter. I also didn't like how he inserted his own thoughts about what some of the people he interviewed said. However the mosques he chose to document were super interesting and I think he does a good job at making the people he interviews comfortable.
October 12, 2021
Mouallem takes us off the beaten path to explore Islamist communities in interesting places through their historical roots, current political placement, and individuals serving their communities. Omar’s personal revelations are at the heart of his quest and give the book a context and meaning that pull the heart of the reader along for the journey. Read this book!!
October 23, 2021
Praying to the West is both informative and accessible, historical yet personal. This was clearly a labour of love and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
Want to read
July 23, 2023I read 17 pages at the Indigo in my mall, and I had to hold back tears twice.
July 12, 2023
It took me some time to read this book, as it is so dense with information that it is difficult to digest all at once. I met the author (who lives in Edmonton) this year at the Iceland Writers Retreat and took a workshop with him, and appreciate how he spoke at the workshop about structure, using this book as an example, in which he visited a series of mosques across the Americas and each location also became a time portal to the past where he unearthed a lot of history as well as describing the modern-day visit. His locations / chapters are: Brazil; Trinidad; Chicago, Illinois; Dearborn, Michigan; Edmonton, Alberta; Houston, Texas; Toronto, Ontario; Los Angeles, California; Quebec City, Quebec; San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, and finally the Unity Mosque which meets virtually across Turtle Island.
Some of the stories I connect to more than others, for example I was fascinated by the story of the indigenous community in San Cristobal de las Casas who had converted to Islam, and because I have spent time in Trinidad I was also most interested in that chapter, and I spent a year living in Inuvik as a child and loved the story of how the mosque in Inuvik was built, especially about the custom cabinet maker Fathallah Farjat living in Hamilton, Ontario (where I also live) who worked nonstop without salary for 6 weeks to do all the carpentry to build the mosque in Inuvik. So many fascinating stories, which have enriched my understanding and appreciation of the complex history of Muslims in the world, and how that history has played out in the Americas, ranging from the large percentage of enslaved Africans and indentured labourers from India who were were brought to the New World with their Muslim faith, as well as more recent immigrants. This is a book I may return to for a second reading or for reference. My short review here does not do it justice.
Some of the stories I connect to more than others, for example I was fascinated by the story of the indigenous community in San Cristobal de las Casas who had converted to Islam, and because I have spent time in Trinidad I was also most interested in that chapter, and I spent a year living in Inuvik as a child and loved the story of how the mosque in Inuvik was built, especially about the custom cabinet maker Fathallah Farjat living in Hamilton, Ontario (where I also live) who worked nonstop without salary for 6 weeks to do all the carpentry to build the mosque in Inuvik. So many fascinating stories, which have enriched my understanding and appreciation of the complex history of Muslims in the world, and how that history has played out in the Americas, ranging from the large percentage of enslaved Africans and indentured labourers from India who were were brought to the New World with their Muslim faith, as well as more recent immigrants. This is a book I may return to for a second reading or for reference. My short review here does not do it justice.
July 3, 2023
I got this book for a book club and I'll admit that I didn't finish it until much past the due date. There's a bit of a slog in the middle of the book, but the chapters at the end of the book are probably the strongest as they're more personal and more focused on the most exciting (and least historical) content of the book, and the discussion around them eventually propelled me to finish and I'm glad I did. A good book for non-Muslims about Muslims in the Americas.
October 16, 2022
DNFing. Not what I need to start the year.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews