When their family came to Canada as refugees, Samra encountered a whole new host of challenges: bullies, racism, the threat of poverty, and an arranged marriage. From their parents, they internalized the lesson that revealing their identity could put them in grave danger. As an Ahmadi Muslim growing up in Pakistan, they faced regular threats from Islamic extremists who believed the small, dynamic sect to be blasphemous. Along the way, she learns that the facets of her identity arent as incompatible as she was led to believe, and that her people had always been there-the world just wasnt ready for them yet.- Book Synopsis CANADA READS 2020 WINNER SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 EDNA STAEBLER AWARD FOR CREATIVE NON-FICTION NATIONAL BESTSELLER 2020 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD WINNER ONE OF BOOK RIOTS 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL QUEER BOOKS OF ALL TIME How do you find yourself when the world tells you that you dont exist? Samra Habib has spent most of their life searching for the safety to be themself.

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. 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 cant any longer. As the threats against her family increase, they seek refuge in Canada, where new financial and cultural obstacles await them. Plus, she has to hide the fact that shes Ahmadi to avoid persecution from religious extremists.

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. Growing up in Pakistan, Samra Habib lacks a blueprint for the life she wants. About the Book A queer Muslim searches for the language to express her truest self, making peace with her sexuality, her family, and Islam.

Book we have always been here