Praying to the West

"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.

InPraying 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 shapedfrom 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 Westreveals 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. (From Simon & Schuster)

• The best Canadian nonfiction of 2021
• 57 works of Canadian nonfiction coming out in fall 2021

Omar Mouallem is an award-winning writer, journalist and filmmaker living in Edmonton. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Maclean's, Wired, and other media outlets. He co-authoredInside the Inferno: A Firefighter's Story of the Brotherhood that Saved Fort McMurray. He also co-directedDigging in the Dirt, a documentary about mental health in the Alberta oil patch. In 2020, he founded the Pandemic University School of Writing.