Hope & Resilience: A Small Town with a Big Story
Why Victoria, Texas Is Part of the “American Muslim Experience”
By Syed Yaqeen, Founder, American Muslim Experience
“I have been overwhelmed and humbled by the support and love,” says Arooj Queshi, at a community celebration of the completion of the new mosque building.
Victoria wasn’t originally on my list when I began documenting the American Muslim Experience. But once I learned about the arson that destroyed the town’s only mosque in 2017, and I watched “A Town Called Victoria”, I had to look into this small Muslim community in Texas.
What I found wasn’t just a story of tragedy, but one of resilience, grace, and deep community roots.
The Muslim community in Victoria has spent decades becoming part of the broader fabric of the town. They are doctors caring for patients of all backgrounds, students excelling in school and on the field, and volunteers showing up for food drives, blood donations, and civic causes. They’ve been showing up for their neighbors, and the neighbors showed up when this small Muslim community needed them the most.
When the mosque was burned, Victoria’s residents didn’t just offer sympathy. They raised funds, they brought over meals, they provided a place for the Muslim community to gather and pray, and they helped rebuild. They stood in solidarity and they reminded the world that hatred can be answered with unity.
What struck me most during my visits wasn’t just what happened after the fire. It was the ordinary beauty of daily life. Families navigate everyday busy lives, and there for each other when needed. This is what a community looks like; not just being tolerated, but being known, trusted, and loved.
Victoria is a reminder that the American Muslim story is not just about surviving. It’s about belonging. It’s about building. And sometimes, it’s about rebuilding.
