Over the last 10 years Wasat has created a spiritual home for Muslims throughout Seattle and recently we have been thinking a lot about how we would create a bigger conversation about place, home, and belonging. We are super excited to launch the Pacific Northwest Prayer Rug Project to think about these questions and reflect on how our prayer rugs are the living artifacts of our families, our histories, and the places that we call home.

The Pacific Northwest Prayer Rug Project

The Pacific Northwest is home to over 300,000 Muslims with Muslims creating impact throughout Washington, Oregon, and British Colombia. It also one of the most diverse Muslim populations on earth. 

The Pacific Northwest Prayer Rug Project at its core is about belonging as our prayer rugs are one of the main spaces where we feel belonging in a world where many of our community members have been displaced from their countries of origin. At the same time with global capitalism, most of us have never had a prayer rug that represents the places we call home as a reality of mass production of prayer rugs in factories around the world. 

This project aims to foster cultural awareness, empathy, and understanding by uniting Muslims through the creation of a locally designed and woven tapestry that celebrates their diverse contributions to the American-Muslim landscape in Washington.

One of our central goals of this project is to partner with local indigenous Coast Salish communities, the project will offer workshops in Seattle, Portland, Vancouver and the surrounding suburbs of each city for participants to design and create their own prayer rugs, incorporating elements of Coast Salish art and weaving techniques. These workshops will be led by local artists and weavers, providing an opportunity for community members to learn, engage, and connect with one another.

The final tapestry will embody themes of identity, the environment, local indigenous cultures, and belonging. It will be displayed at various community centers, mosques, art galleries, and online platforms to ensure wide accessibility. Accompanying educational materials will further enrich the understanding of the project's heritage content and historical significance.

By intertwining traditional Coast Salish art forms with the American-Muslim experience, the Pacific Northwest Prayer Rug Project aims to bridge cultural divides, promote a sense of shared heritage, and create a more inclusive and equitable community for all.

Project Timeline

The PNW Prayer Rug Project is a collaborative project between Wasat, the Center for Global Muslim Life and Islamic Family Canada. 

Summer 2023 - Initial Workshops at Mosques and Muslim community centers throughout the Pacific Northwest exploring key themes around home and belonging with the PNW Prayer Rug Project

Fall 2023 - Continued listening campaigns to get feedback on what the PNW Prayer Rug should be

Winter 2023 - Lead facilitator team works with designers on concepts for PNW Prayer Rug with community feedback on final designs

Ramadan / Eid 2024 - PNW Prayer Rug project is completed and is launched with a report of Muslim impact in throughout the region

March / April 2024 - Distribution of Prayer Rugs for those who pre-ordered as a part of this campaign

The True Meaning of Our Prayer Rugs in Building Home

Five times a day, we roll out our prayer rugs to connect with our faith and seek guidance from our Creator. Thirty-five times a week, we lay down our burdens and surrender ourselves to a higher power. In a month, we offer 140 prayers - each one a humble plea for mercy and forgiveness.

And over the course of a year, we bow our heads in supplication 1680 times. That's 1680 moments of reflection, gratitude, and hope.

But our prayer rugs are more than just a physical manifestation of our devotion. They are the living artifacts of our families, our histories, and our homes. 

Each of these rugs carries its own story - a tale of love, loss, triumph, and of course tragedy.

Our prayer rugs bear witness to our lives and they are a reminder that we are not alone in this journey. That we are surrounded by the love of our families, the support of our communities, and in some cases we may even pray on the same prayer rug as our ancestors who have passed on. 

These are the things that make us feel HOME, the things that make us feel like we truly belong.

The Canadian Prayer Rug & History of the Project

This is the prayer rug that inspired this project, known as the Canadian Prayer Rug, it was crafted by the talented and Mashallah visionary team at Islamic Family in Edmonton. Over the course of the last two years, we have had the pleasure of collaborating with them to explore issues related to Muslim Wellness and Belonging.

Islamic Family's approach to creating the prayer rug was truly exceptional. They conducted a deep listening campaign, engaging with members of the Muslim community to truly understand their needs and preferences. In addition, they worked closely with local indigenous elders to ensure that the design of the rug was respectful of the land and incorporated elements of both Islamic and indigenous design languages. The Canadian Prayer Rug was launched in 2016, and has since become a symbol of the community's dedication to creating inclusive spaces for people of all backgrounds.

By participating in the Pacific Northwest Prayer Rug Project, you will not only help us promote a message of love and unity, but you will also help us fund our local and regional Muslim impact reports. Together, we can redefine the story of Muslims worldwide and create a better future for our communities.

With the Pacific Northwest Prayer Rug Project our goal is to create conversations about love, belonging, place, home, the environment, and design, by exploring the stories and significance of prayer rugs in the Muslim community. We plan to create design competitions and local prayer rug projects in cities around the world, and develop institutional and educational curricula to take this project everywhere.

$125 Donation - The Canadian Prayer Rug 

$150 Donation - Pre-Order the Pacific Northwest Prayer Rug

$2500 - PNW Local Prayer Rug Workshop

Interested in exploring the idea of making a prayer rug in your community? At this level you can bring out the Center for Global Muslim Life facilitators to have a conversation about narrative change and the PNW Prayer Rug Project