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[bright string music]

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[baby crying]

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- Othman Atta: Mahmoud Othman
Atta felt like the happiest man

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in Milwaukee!

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His family was together and his
third child had just been born.

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- Mahmoud: Allahu Akbar,
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar...

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- Othman: It was the summer
of 1967.

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Mahmoud and his family were
spending the year together

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in Wisconsin, visiting
from their home in Palestine.

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For many years, Mahmoud had been
living in the U.S. to work

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and send money back home
to his family,

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so getting to spend
so much time together

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was really something special.

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[children playing]

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But while they were still
in the hospital,

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Mahmoud's wife saw images
on the TV

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that immediately caused her
to worry--

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things that would turn her
family's life upside down.

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Israeli soldiers were occupying
parts of Palestine,

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including their hometown
of Al-Bireh,

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as part of fighting between
Israel and several Arab nations.

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Mahmoud's wife knew
this was very bad for them.

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And Mahmoud knew this too.

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What would this mean
for his family?

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When would they be able
to return?

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Who would take care
of their house,

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their relatives, their things?

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The war was over quickly,
lasting only six days,

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but fighting had been brutal.

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And with Israeli soldiers
still occupying Palestine,

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it wasn't safe for Mahmoud
and his family to return.

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What if they could never
go back?

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Mahmoud had an idea.

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If he and his family couldn't
return to Palestine,

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they would try their best
to make a home in Milwaukee.

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Mahmoud already knew
the city well.

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His father had been coming
to Milwaukee from Palestine

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since before his birth.

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He worked as a peddler,

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traveling and selling
all sorts of goods.

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This helped him support
his family back home,

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and was a common job for many
of the Arab immigrants

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who came to the U.S.
in the early 20th century.

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When Mahmoud was a teenager,

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his dad wanted him to broaden
his experiences,

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so he brought him to Milwaukee

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and enrolled him
in West Division High School.

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Mahmoud was a good student,

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and he ran on the school's
track team and won medals.

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But before he graduated,
his father died very suddenly.

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He was thousands of miles
from his home in Palestine,

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away from his mother
and siblings.

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What would he do?

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Luckily, Mahmoud wasn't alone.

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He had a small community
of people he could count on.

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Arab Christians and Muslims
had been coming

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to the United States
for decades,

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and they helped look out
for each other.

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Mahmoud also had an uncle
who watched over him.

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He managed to finish
high school, start college,

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and then join the U.S. Army and
spent time serving as a medic--

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all before returning
to Palestine

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to marry and start
his own family.

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Now, just a few years later,

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he knew he could make things
work once again.

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Mahmoud was a Muslim.

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His religion, Islam,
was very important to him.

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For him and Muslims
all over the world,

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part of their religion means
praying five times a day,

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facing the direction
of the Kaaba shrine in Mecca.

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Doing this in their home
in Milwaukee

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was a way to feel connected
to Muslims everywhere.

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Being connected
to the local community

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was also important to Mahmoud.

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He and his family regularly
welcomed people

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from all over Milwaukee
to join their gatherings.

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Milwaukee was starting
to feel like home,

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but there was something missing:

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There was no official place
for all the city's Muslims

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to gather together and worship.

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Mahmoud began reaching out
to other Muslims in Milwaukee

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and forming connections.

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Many were Black Americans
who were new to the religion.

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Segregation was a big problem
in the city,

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so Mahmoud built bridges by
connecting with Black Muslims.

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He taught about Islam,
led prayers,

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and sometimes was even asked
to pick Muslim names for babies!

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Now Milwaukee was really
starting to feel like home,

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but something was still missing:

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They needed a mosque!

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Mahmoud knew that a mosque was
essential for their community.

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A mosque was more than just
a special place for prayer.

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It was a gathering space

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that could serve as a center
for education,

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social activism, volunteer work,
and so much more.

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But how could anyone take on
the huge cost and work

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of building a new mosque?

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The answer was right
in front of him:

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he could help make it happen
by bringing people together.

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In 1982, two Muslim groups
in Milwaukee

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decided to combine
their resources

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to buy an old school building.

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Over the next few years,

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the old building filled
with the sounds of prayers,

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of children laughing,
of families talking.

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The Islamic community
became more diverse

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with each passing year,

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and in the end,
they built a new mosque

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for Muslims all across Milwaukee
and beyond.

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For Mahmoud Othman Atta, this
was a dream turned into reality.

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Mahmoud eventually was able
to go back

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to see his extended family
in Palestine,

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and over the years, he would
return whenever he could.

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But by that point,
he had a new home:

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one with his family,
his community, and his mosque--

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right here in Wisconsin.

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[lively oud music]