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A review by ourxstorybegins
We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

5.0

After reading this book, I was reminded why it’s so essential (for white people especially) to read diversely. I am a queer woman. However, as a white woman who was raised in the southern Evangelical culture, I learned so much about a world that I know very little about just by reading about Samra Habib’s life. I am grateful to her for taking the time to write this book and to share these stories so that others can take what they will from it.

Some Highlights: 
  • I have no idea what the summary includes, but I wasn’t prepared to read a story that involves being set up in and having to escape an arranged marriage. Such a challenging situation really showcases the idea of the parent who “means well” by doing something so potentially harmful to her child.
  • As someone who doesn’t feel particularly comfortable in christian churches due to my queerness, reading about Habib’s exploration of her religion and her time going to a queer-friendly mosque definitely made me cry. Despite the fact that our lives are so different, this was particularly relatable.
  • I don’t know if Habib has a significant other at this point. I think it’s tempting for people to allow their stories to come to a pretty little ending involving their significant other, and that just very much wasn’t the point with this book and I’m glad she didn’t go there one way or another (especially since she talked about dating/relationships so many other times throughout the book).

There is a photo project that Habib refers to multiple times in the latter half of her book. The project is called Just Me and Allah, and it’s absolutely lovely. You can find it at https://queermuslimproject.tumblr.com/.