A great book exploring some really important themes.
For me this is a 5 star read and it’s a book I think a lot of other people will be able to connect with as well.

I had to take some time to process my thoughts on this book. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes and all thoughts expressed in this review are my own.


This book left me in tears. Like, all out sobbing tears. I’m so glad that this memoir was written. I have gained a new perspective on what being a queer Muslim looks like. I truly believe in representation and own voices literature because it provides a way to bring everyone to the table and allows those marginalized voices to speak.

This book also provides a warning to Canada to keep fighting for all LGBTQIA+ people:

“ Witnessing politically minded queers in North Carolina, many of whom were also Muslim, was especially revelatory for me, because I often found people back home in Toronto to be apathetic and apolitical, perhaps a result of the comfort and ambivalence that advanced queer rights can breed. Many Canadians who enjoyed the fruits of decades of activism did not see any need to advocate for the rights of queer and trans people of colour. In my experience, progress in many circles had given way to passivity. When I launched my photo project, someone actually asked me if there was even a need for it, because “things are so great in Canada for queers. What’s left to fight for?”


One mustn’t sit back and think everything is great because gay marriage is recognized.

My heart broke when I read “ When I photographed my subjects in Istanbul, they asked that I not show their faces because they feared for their safety.” It is truly devastating how some countries view being LGBTQIA+ as dangerous or something that isn’t okay. It’s enraging.


The quote that sent tears down my face was when the author told her father that she is queer. Samra and her father had a difficult relationship since immigrating to Canada, and when she told him that she was queer, he responded “You can’t help it,” he said. “It’s just who you are.” Being seen for who you are is what we are all looking for.

I recommend <b> We Have Always Been Here</b> . I deeply recommend it to those seeking for a new perspective on LGBTQIA+ . This memoir gives a marginalized voice a seat at the table.

While I enjoyed learning about Ms. Habib and would love to see her photography, I would not say this book was much of an exploration as stated in the summary. For despite being presented as a memoir, I felt it was much more of an objective stating of the facts of Ms. Habib's life and generalized information about difficulties in the Pakistan and Muslim cultures, I did not feel like I finished this book knowing Ms. Habib. While this disconnect might be due to her need to protect herself, it does a disservice in a memoir.

I feel so lucky to have gotten a galley for this book. We could all do with hearing more LGBTQ+ voices, and Habib writes powerfully about her experiences. A stunning memoir I am excited to recommend.

Samra Habib did a phenomenal job conveying her upbringing and experience as a queer Mulsim woman who must fight with herself every day because of the difference in societal expectations. Her voice is so unique, as she talks about her lack of security, her feeling of safety, her search for identity, her coming to terms with her identity in a space where she is not accepted. Her writing is phenomenal and elicited so many emotions out from me. I've learned so much, related to her, and felt her experience through her words.

Magnifique témoignage de Samra Habib sur sa vie au Pakistan puis au Canada. J'ai trouvé fort pertinent la lecture de cet ouvrage, où la perception d'une jeune femme de couleur, queer et musulmane s'exprime ouvertement sur ses expériences de la vie. Je recommande chaudement pour tous!

Samra was born and raised in Pakistan but then moved with her family to Toronto as refugees. She is suddenly faced with a world so different than what she knew and so much more than she thought the world could offer.

Samra ends up escaping an arranged marriage and finding a tribe of people that help her discover who she is and how she can reconcile her queerness and her faith.

This is a beautiful memoir. It took me a little bit to get into it but once I did I was enthralled. Samra wrote about her life in such a real and touching way and in a way that makes you want to read more and it tells a story that is different than a lot of the stories out there

Samra Habib has written a powerful story about her experience as a queer Muslim woman. She documents both the facets of each individual identity and the way that they react. She is not afraid to talk about the areas in which she made mistakes but also provides hope by demonstrating how she handled each situation.

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir
by Samra Habib
due 6-4-2019
Viking
5.0 / 5.0

Samra Habibś journey of self-discovery, while remaining loyal to her deep religious beliefs, is stunning and emotional and revealing. It made me re-consider my thoughts on Islam, organized religion and social privilege.

Samra shares her childhood in Pakistan, growing up in a climate of fear, feeling like an outsider because of her families belief and following of the Ahmadi Movement. It was legal to torture and kill Ahmadi followers by the Sunniś. Her belief in Muhammad has been important to her throughout her life. In 1991, She immigrated to Canada, moving into an apt complex that had other Ahmadi families, but few were Pakistani and she felt very alone.

Samra married twice before realizing she may be queer, Once was an arranged marriage to a first cousin. Until she met other gay people, the possibility of being gay never occurred to her. She realized her sexual identity when it became visible to her. Visibility is so important and essential.

Samra Habibś novel reminds how important allowing all people visibility, all people equal opportunity and all people with respect and dignity. Habib reminds us how human we all are. Itś how humane we treat each other that truly separates us. Highly recommended novel.
Thanks to Random House/Canada, Samra Habib and net galley for this e-book ARC for a fair and honest review.
#netgalley #WeHaveAlwaysBeenHere

Growing up as an Ahmadi Muslim in Pakistan means regularly facing threats from extremists who think that your religion is blasphemous, so when Samra Habib's family immigrated to Canada it was a new chance for freedom. But this came with a whole new set of challenges. Starting over in a new country is hard and a young Samra endured bullying, racism, and poverty. But it was her arranged marriage to a cousin at the age of 17 that became the turning point in her life. She quickly realized that this kind of life was always going to keep her from being who she truly is. It would always dampen her spirit emotionally and creatively. So she took the difficult step of leaving her marriage and straining her relationship with her family to ultimately live her life with the freedom to be who she is.

This is a very thoughtful and eye-opening memoir about one woman's journey to living her truth. Samra's story is a story that many have but who for many reasons are afraid to tell. Her bravery is evident through the entire book. Samra's family belong to a religious minority sect within Islam that faces difficult conditions in her home country of Pakistan. Despite economic security and close family, her family chose to leave her home very quickly to find safety and security in Canada. And it is in Canada as an adult that she comes to understand a very important part of who she is, a part that also faces difficult conditions where she comes from - a queer Muslim. As Samra writes about nurturing this part of her and discovering the world that is there for her, readers will be moved and amazed by her story. It was so beautiful to read about the queer Muslim community that exists and supports each other. This is a wonderful book and I know that all readers will learn a lot from it.

When I started this book I knew nothing about Samra Habib’s story. Her writing style is very relatable and you are easily immersed into her life. I learned so much about the Muslim culture and went on a journey of the authors journey of self discovery. If you are looking for an authentic voice you have found it.

There were moments during this book that I felt a little bit nervous (like any time the author mentioned trans people), but overall this was a beautiful portrayal of self-discovery. I have read a lot about queer Christians, but to read about the author's relationship with Islam forced me to confront my attitudes towards organized religion in a way I hadn't before.
That said, it also confuses me that there was a lot of time spent on the struggles of poverty, but it seems to me that once Habib was in a more stable financial situation, we no longer got to understand how she was able to afford so many trips abroad, for example. I think a more honest account of people's financial situations -- especially creative people -- would be valuable.

We Have Always Been Here is a brave memoir by Samra Habib. She is a Pakistani woman who moved to Canada. She also identifies as queer. There are a lot of unique attributes about Habib that make this such an unusual book. I though Habib's story and wrestle for freedom, was fascinating. But I also think that the end felt rushed and didn't match the pace of the beginning.

We Have Always Been Here - this title encapsulates what felt, to me, like the core message of this book: queer Muslims have always been here but Samra Habib's story is about the political act of taking up space in a world that doesn't see you.

Samra Habib's writing takes us eloquently through her childhood in Pakistan, to her experiences of life as a young refugee in Canada and then to the years spent unpacking her identity as a queer Muslim woman. Powerful and poignant aren't quite strong enough words to capture the emotional impact of her words. Upon finishing  it, I found myself choked up - her story invites you to look at society through a new lens and recognise your social privileges.

I will be recommending this book far and wide; despite its weighty content, her writing is addictive and consuming, and I read it in two sittings - finding it too hard to put down.

We Have Always Been Here is a memoir that follows Samra from her childhood in Pakistan to arriving in Canada for a better life. Betrothed to her older cousin, there is a conflict between how she is expected to act and how she feels in these new surroundings. Although I knew this was a queer memoir when I requested it, I kind of forgot when I started reading it and found the book took an unexpected twist. It's a subject I don't think I've read much about before and I found it really interesting to see how her faith complimented her queerness. Would definitely recommend!

You Have Always Been Here, A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib 5 ⭐️ Read (more then 5 in my mind and my heart) this was the best read yet of 2019 for me and I’ve read 12 books.⁣
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I discovered Samra Sabib through netgalley, I saw the description and cover for this book and thought I need an ARC of this ASAP. I was so lucky that Penguin Random House Canada decided I was deserving. ⁣
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First off how am I Canadian and did not know who Samra Sabib was , after reading this book she is a legend in my eyes. Normally I’d be saying I was ashamed because I hadn’t heard her but she taught me there is no shame. Her writing is eloquent and raw and so real. ⁣
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This book literally cut me open and bled me dry. Now I can bleed better blood, authentic blood because that’s what she does to you. The book just pours out authenticity and I am so better for reading it. ⁣
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I’ve learned so much from these pages about Pakistan and Muslim culture. I felt so much sadness for the difficulty’s faced and compassion for the resilience. I felt so ashamed that islamaphobia is even a thing in our society in this modern world. ⁣
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I felt as a person who identifies as queer, so validated even tho I am not Muslim. This book was a safe space. This book told me I’m queer enough even if I love a man. ⁣
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If you like reading about authentic people with the power to change lives - this is for you.