When Dr. Ayaz Virji first set foot in Dawson, Minnesota, he didn’t know what to expect. He was a brown Muslim man walking into a predominantly white rural town. But much to his surprise Ayaz and his family fit right in. Dawson quickly became home and his neighbors became like his extended family. Then came the presidential election of 2016.


A very big thank you to Ayaz and Mussarat Virji, and to Mandy France and Doug Peterson for sharing their story with Snap!


For more, please make sure to check out Ayaz Virji’s book, Love Thy Neighbor: A Muslim Doctor’s Struggle for Home in Rural America.


Produced by Nancy Lopez, original score by Renzo Gorrio


Artwork by Teo Ducot


Season 11 - Episode 18


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A Muslim doctor moves his family to a small, rural, Midwestern town. To his surprise, they fit right in... and then came the 2016 presidential election. Season 11 - Episode 18