Tag: New Muslim woman

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New Muslims Reflections

How a Convert Woman Sees Their Status in Islam

 

Thompson was drawn to Islam because of what she calls the ‘peacefulness’ of the faith as well as the personal nature of Muslim religious practice

Thompson was drawn to Islam because of what she calls the ‘peacefulness’ of the faith as well as the personal nature of Muslim religious practice

Converting to a new religion is never an easy thing. There’s a lot to learn and, of course, the issue of how to break the news to family and loved ones. Things can be even more complicated for non-Muslim women who convert to Islam … most of the time.

‘I feel really blessed because my family reacted much better than other families I’ve heard about.’

Sarah Thompson is a native of Noblesville, Indiana. She grew up in what she would call a Christian household but says she always felt like something was missing and eventually left Christianity. It wasn’t until she began exploring Islam that she says she felt like she found a spiritual home. Thompson converted a few years ago after taking several months to learn about the faith.

A Family’s Reaction

‘My mom was like, ‘Okay, great, this is wonderful; what can I do?’ Thompson says of her mother’s reaction. ‘And she went out and bought me like fifteen scarves. I mean, she was just amazing.’

Although not everyone has been amazing, some of her family did have a difficult time understanding Thompson’s decision. Her father and stepfather, in particular, began to take it hard once they realized ‘just how real’ Thompson’s conversion was.

Most of her close friends were also supportive of her decision, although Thompson says she did have a few who thought she was crazy.

Feminism and Islam

‘I’ve always been a really strong feminist, so when I say they thought I was crazy, that’s what they meant,’ Thompson says.

‘They have a very limited idea of what Islam is. It is the woman in the hijab and it is this woman in the veil that’s being oppressed and that’s sort of the image (they have).’

The funny thing is, Thompson says, that she feels more liberated as a Muslim woman than she ever did as a Christian one.

‘I didn’t feel oppressed, but I didn’t necessarily feel liberated in Christianity,’ she says. ‘I definitely feel more liberated, and more free, in Islam. The way that some women are treated in other countries is more cultural and it’s definitely not Islamic. In the Qur’an it says ‘men have this right and women have this right’ and it’s the same right.’

The Beauty of Islam

Thompson says she was drawn to Islam because of what she calls the ‘peacefulness’ of the faith as well as the personal nature of Muslim religious practice.

‘It is a community religion but it is really focused on you and your relationship with God and you making your prayers every day and your intent being right every day,” Thompson says. “Only He knows what you’ve done.’

Thompson says that, in many ways she feels she’s the same person she was before the conversion. The big difference is that, instead of just saying she’s putting her faith in God, as a Muslim Thompson’s actually doing it.

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Source: Muslimvoices.org

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Categories
Conversion Stories New Muslims

Why Did These Women Fall in Love with Islam?

But what would make someone want to change their lifestyle so dramatically?

But what would make someone want to change their lifestyle so dramatically?

‘I wasn’t looking for a religion … I just fell in love with Islam’, this is how one single British woman from the 5,000 Brits who become Muslims each year described her life choice of Islam.

More than half of those who make the switch are white – and 75 per cent are women, revealed a late report.

But what would make someone want to change their lifestyle so dramatically?

Police Community Support Officer Jayne Kemp left her Catholic roots behind after ‘falling in love’ with Islam while helping victims of so-called honour violence.

PCSO Jayne, 28

Jayne Kemp patrols her beat wearing a traditional hijab (headscarf) and even works extra time after shifts so she can attend Friday prayers at her mosque.

Devout Jayne converted to Islam last April and even plans to change her name to Aminah.

The single mum, who patrols Eccles, Gtr Manchester, as a Police Community Support Officer, says: ‘I thought Islam was all about women being forced to slave away in the kitchen — but I found out it was about being generous with your time, and patient and respectful of others.

‘As I looked into it, I saw similarities with Catholicism and noticed values such as looking after your neighbours and cherishing the elderly, which is something older people say younger people don’t do any more.

‘I wasn’t looking for any religion at the time but for every question I had answered about Islam, I had five more. I think I fell in love with it.’

Devoted Jayne even missed out on celebrating Christmas with her son, nine, and daughter, seven. She sent them off to their dad’s and cooked her own meal so it would be halal (the meat slaughtered in the manner prescribed by Islamic Shari`ah law).

And despite the drastic change, Jayne says colleagues at Greater Manchester Police and her family have been supportive. She is now helping to design a regulation police hijab and tunic — as one has never been needed before.

Jayne says: ‘I was worried about what my colleagues would think but they have been so understanding.

‘People in Eccles have been great too — most don’t even mention it. If my children had struggled with me covering my hair I wouldn’t have done it.

‘They have both asked a lot about it but I would never push Islam on them and they will be brought up Catholic.

‘I just hope by speaking out I can show it is OK for a Muslim woman to work in the police force and change negative Islam stereotypes.

‘My family members, in general, are supportive. If I’m happy, they’re happy. My sister said I’m the happiest she’s ever seen me.’

Jayne was inspired to convert to Islam after chatting to other Muslims on Twitter.

Muhammad Manzoor, who runs Muslim Twitter account Local Masjid from his home in Whalley Range, Manchester, helped her make the transition.

He said: ‘I was humbled Jayne was asking me these questions.

‘She has found this religion for herself and hopefully it shows Muslims can mix in society without compromising their faith.’

Student Alana, 21

Alana Blockley, a media student who lives in Glasgow, converted to Islam after meeting her husband Abdul on holiday in June 2010. She says:

‘My family are all travellers and we live on a caravan site. I was baptized as a Christian but church and religion were never a big part of my life.

‘I was 18 when I decided I wanted to go out to the Canaries. I wanted to work as a club rep and have the experiences people say you should when you’re young.

‘I arrived in Fuerteventura and after a couple of days, a hotel maintenance man offered to take me out for a coffee. He was Abdul, a Muslim from Morocco.

‘When I got home he asked me to come back and visit him – and after three visits we knew we wanted to be together.

‘I started to research Islam because I wanted to know more about his life.

‘I decided I wanted to convert. I was worried about telling my parents and burst into tears. Mum thought I was pregnant and my dad thought I’d crashed my car.

‘I started to wear the hijab last summer. We got married in a Muslim ceremony earlier this month in Fuerteventura.

‘I don’t eat ham or drink alcohol now.

‘I celebrate `Eid (the Islamic public celebration) now, but I compromised with my parents and we all had a halal (permitted by Allah) Christmas dinner.

‘I hope I’m going to heaven now and I like the rules of Islam.’

Jobseeker Claire, 24

Claire Evans, from Bridgend, South Wales, converted to Islam last July after researching it following a break-up.

‘After my heart was broken by a Muslim man, I wanted nothing more to do with the religion – I thought it was cruel and unkind.

‘But my mum started looking up more about Islam and pointed out the way this man had behaved was contrary to the faith’s teachings.

‘I read up on it and discovered that Islam actually promotes tranquility and peace.

‘I wasn’t religious before I converted. I didn’t really believe in God. I now cover my hair and wear a hijab, which was a big decision. My dad doesn’t like it, though, and I don’t wear the hijab when I’m with him.

‘At first I got some stares and nasty comments but in the past six months I’ve grown in confidence. Now I go to the mosque once a week and I pray every day.

‘I also took a Muslim name, Safir, but I still use my old name of Claire too. I have a new partner too, who is a Muslim, but we’re not settling down just yet.

‘Islam has made me calmer and, for the first time in my life, I feel accepted.

‘There’s not much I miss about my old life- I can’t eat pork now.’

Model Ayesha, 24

Ayesha Olumide, from Edinburgh, is a model who works under her original name of Eunice. She converted to Islam in 2009 while at university. She says:

‘Before converting to Islam I was a Christian – but where my family is from in West Africa, Islam and Christianity are both practiced. But it wasn’t until I started studying philosophy at university that I began to learn more about Islam.

‘At first I was worried it would be too extreme but when I studied the Qur’an it blew my mind. The theories about nature and science appealed and I felt enlightened. You can’t always explain everything in a scientific way and Islam helps me with that.

‘I was first scouted as a model while a 15-year-old tomboy. I was into football and athletics – but a career in fashion is all about looks. Converting to Islam made me realize how much we value people if society thinks they’re beautiful.

‘At the mosque, women cover their head and dress modestly, so no one is judging you on what you look like. At first I found it hard to square being a Muslim with being a model. But I spoke to a Muslim sister and she said Islam is not an extreme religion, so if it felt too extreme to me it probably wasn’t right.

‘Now I cover my hair for 99 per cent of the time. And I don’t do any bikini or underwear shoots.

‘I don’t have set days at the mosque but I do go often and I pray every day. I would like to start a family in the future but don’t think I’d marry a non-Muslim.’

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Source: thesun.uk

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Categories
Conversion Stories New Muslims

My Journey to Islam: In Islam I Got All My Questions Answered

By Editorial Staff

Susan Carland is a lecturer at Monash University’s National Centre for Australian Studies, where she specializes in gender studies, youth and sociology of religion. Susan, who has been raised as a Baptist, decided to become Muslim. Here’s her journey to Islam …

My Journey to Islam -In Islam I Got All My Questions Answered

I started to have lots of questions that I didn’t feel I was getting answers for.

How Did She Find Islam?

She said:

When I was 17 years old I began to question why I believed what I did; do I believe what I do because I think it is true or is it simply because this what I have been raised to believe?

I was raised in a very open-minded Christian household. My mom was very radical . I had positive connection to God. But at that time, seeing teens becoming quite existential, I started to have lots of questions that I didn’t feel I was getting answers for. And so I decided to start looking into different religions, except for Islam because I thought it looked like a violent, sexist and barbaric religion. Islam was not on my priority list.

Despite that, I kept coming across information about Islam; on TV, articles on newspapers, articles, etc. So, information about Islam had been presented to me without looking for it.

And it was when I started to look into what the religion said about itself as opposed to what I saw Muslims doing in the name of Islam and what I saw journalists say about Islam. To my surprise, it made a lot of sense to me, and I started to look at the matter more seriously.

Becoming Muslim

It was until I was 19 that I actually became Muslim. I was very worried about how my family was going to react, especially my mom. But it was then when I realized that I need actually to truly live my life, not to make other people happy. I have to make this choice for myself. I then decided to become Muslim. Islam engaged my intellectually and spiritually. The word “God” then made sense to me.

I didn’t have that intellectual divide between mind, body and soul that I had found in Christianity.

Susan became a Muslim without the influence of anyone.

Married to a Muslim; Melbourne lawyer Waleed `Aly, but she admits she “didn’t become Muslim for him.” She wanted and decided to be Muslim.

In the video below Susan tells more interesting details about her conversion story and her life as a Muslim woman; a Muslim wife, and mother living in a West …



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