From hearing the call to prayer five times a day in Mali to hearing an LDS prayer before every class, Fousseyni “Fouss” Traore, the former Cougar forward, had to navigate a dramatic change during his time at BYU.
He went from Mali, a country where 95% of the population is Muslim, to Provo, Utah, a city where about 85% of the population are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints.
While the shift may seem extreme, Traore says, “the LDS and Muslim community is a lot more similar than you think.”
Traore was born in Kati, Mali, to a Muslim family of seven in a city where almost everyone shared his faith and the adhan — the call to prayer — shaped the rhythm of daily life. Before moving to Utah, Mali was the only world he knew, from the language and the food, to the sounds of prayer echoing through Bamako.
At sixteen, he was recruited through a basketball camp in Mali and came to Utah to play at Wasatch Academy. He explains, “I did not know anything about the church when I was in Mali. Nobody was talking about it. Everything I was learning was about Islam.”
Landing in Provo, a majority Latter-day Saint college town, felt like stepping into a completely different universe.
“Everybody was too nice. I just felt like everybody was interested in me and always smiling,” Traore said. He continues to explain that Utah felt right from the start, even with the obvious cultural and religious differences.
“One of the reasons I chose BYU was because we all have the same standards, so it was not a hard decision for me, Traore said.
But even though the choice felt clear to him, it came with backlash from others.
“A lot of people thought I was crazy. A lot of people said, 'why are you going to a Mormon school?' But I just knew BYU was the right place.”
One of the biggest differences between Islamic prayer and most Christian prayer is when and where it happens. Muslim prayer is often tied to specific times of day and often requires finding space to face Mecca, the holiest city in Islam. Christian prayers in general are more flexible, with no required times or directions. Navigating prayer times on a Latter-day Saint campus was one thing, but navigating Ramadan, a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset, in the middle of workouts, tournaments, classes and games was a completely different challenge.
With the intensity of BYU basketball’s practice schedule, it is easy to imagine the hardship that comes with fasting while competing. For players who fast, the simplest parts of practice become more demanding. Running drills without water, lifting weights with no food in the body since before sunrise and staying mentally sharp during film sessions takes a different level of discipline.
“I know you need a lot of energy to play, so I just never tried to fast during the season, but on the weekends if I do not have a game, I will fast, and I know that God will understand," Traore said.
Even with his unique experience as a Muslim at BYU, Traore always felt excepted in his newfound home in Provo.
“We are more similar than we think," Traore said. “I know I was Muslim the whole time, but I never felt alone. I always felt like I was part of them.”
When asked what he would say to a Muslim student who is thinking about attending BYU, Traore said that “BYU is the best decision you can ever make. It is going to help you become closer to God.”
His words speak not only to Muslim students, but to any non-LDS student who might be contemplating joining the BYU community in any capacity.
Traore's story shows that no matter one's religion, culture, or background, people can come together as children of God and find belonging, purpose, and connection in the same place.