'When I was working on the photo documentary, I was very behind the scenes.

I wanted to add that, hoping that it could inspire other people.

I'm not saying that isn't an important narrative, but I personally have also experienced a lot of joy, a lot of pleasure. I was finding that there was a lack of joy and happiness. When I would read about the queer Muslim experience, it was so connected to trauma. I travelled around the world, photographing and interviewing people about trying to find out how people who identify as queer were navigating their relation with Islam. Oftentimes we're a little rejected by mainstream mosques. No matter where I was in the world, I would hear from other young people that there was an absence of role models who openly identified as queer Muslims. 'For about five years, I was working on a photo project called Just Me and Allah. Habib spoke to CBC Books about writing We Have Always Been Here. The book won Canada Reads2020, defended by actor Amanda Brugel. As a child, Habib hid her faith from Islamic extremists in Pakistan and endured racist bullying in Canada, but later came into her own as a proud queer Muslim woman. In Samra Habib's memoir We Have Always Been Here, the journalist and photographer chronicles a witty, often heavy, but ultimately triumphant coming-of-age.

We have always been here samra habib