'Why I Converted to Islam'

[Yamato]

I often observe how some 90% of the discussion about Islam on this website boils down to finding the worst examples of behavior done under Islamic pretense and in so doing, letting extremists and terrorists define the religion for everyone and the rest of us. Questions such as "Why don't Muslims condemn violence done by religious extremists?" are repeated in the attempt to pollute the entire religion with extremism and get 1.4 billion people sharing in the blame. What people asking this question rarely come to understand is their own lack of evidence for something isn't evidence that it doesn't exist. Even when evidence is provided to refute the implication in their question, they ignore it or discount it and eventually amnesia sets in and they go right back to asking the same question again and again on another day.

From the video: "I go to Mosques. I go to Islamic meetings. Those people who are actually Muslims and have been Muslims for generations... even they, when I ask them, have you seen what's going on TV, and they don't understand, they are like 'I know, right? What is it? What is wrong with those people? Why do they even call themselves Muslims?'"

[media=]

[SHaYap]

In a nutshell ... I sit down with muslims everyday of my life now.... and we ask the very same questions ... why are those being made to represent muslims and most importantly ... why do they even believe that those and only those are muslims .... we laugh about it and goes back to talking about footie and girls .... over another cuppa tea or coffee

~

[redhen]

Regarding the Youtube videos. Admittedly I didn't watch the whole thing, because she started out talking about Islam, not why she converted as the title suggests. So I took a shortcut, went to her About page to confirm my suspicions.

"I am proud muslimah, psychology student, youtuber and blogger. Happily Married to the most amazing husband"

Yup, suspicions confirmed. Wanna bet her hubby is a Muslim? Yup, that certainly is a good reason to convert, I suspect she didn't have much choice if she wanted a Sharia marriage. I would urge her to also get a civil marriage.

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmeA0jG7OFE[/media]

[SHaYap]

I don't know Red ... maybe possibly its the other way around ? Converted first before future hubby came along ?

She found her peace ... I'm happy for her ...

Far too many settled for less and worse ...

~

[Yamato]

Regarding the Youtube videos. Admittedly I didn't watch the whole thing, because she started out talking about Islam, not why she converted as the title suggests. So I took a shortcut, went to her About page to confirm my suspicions.

"I am proud muslimah, psychology student, youtuber and blogger. Happily Married to the most amazing husband"

Yup, suspicions confirmed. Wanna bet her hubby is a Muslim? Yup, that certainly is a good reason to convert, I suspect she didn't have much choice if she wanted a Sharia marriage. I would urge her to also get a civil marriage.

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmeA0jG7OFE[/media]

Nope, you're wrong on all counts. She was still single at the time of these videos. Her husband is Indian, and nope, he's not Muslim.

I don't know Red ... maybe possibly its the other way around ? Converted first before future hubby came along ?

She found her peace ... I'm happy for her ...

Far too many settled for less and worse ...

~

Thank you for not jumping to conclusions like that.

[redhen]

I don't know Red ... maybe possibly its the other way around ? Converted first before future hubby came along ?

She found her peace ... I'm happy for her ...

Far too many settled for less and worse ...

Ok, I watched both videos and it sounds like a genuine seeker. Apparently she was not catechized at all and could not understand the Trinitarian doctrine. So later in life an "inner voice" told her she was a Muslim. Ok, there's nothing to argue there. She did mention some Youtube videos of some guy who had memorized all the worlds scripture and showed how Islam was the best, hmm. She hasn't posted a link, too bad.

Anyways, the title of these videos suggests Muslim apologetics, but it's nothing of the sort, just personal, subjective feelings. Again, nothing to argue there either.

So perhaps it wasn't a marriage conversion, I just assumed. Mea culpa.

[Yamato]

redhen, I was catechized and I can't understand the Trinitarian either, which is just the beginning of the contractions I can't understand granted the way Christians practice their religion, which is anything but resembling their scripture. And you're still implying the Xenophobic stereotype about Islam and suggesting that if one doesn't come to it themselves, it isn't valid. That standard doesn't solely apply to Islam, indoctrination is everywhere about theoretically anything. The Xenophobic stereotype against Islam where demonstrable with empirical evidence has little to do with the religion. It's cultural, it's tribal, it's traditional, it's political or even reactionary, but it's not the religion when we isolate these other variables out and consider the religion independently.

http://youtu.be/F9VF6jRsHtg

[Ratte]

My reply to this is less about the videos and more about the OPs post content before the videos were mentioned.

I am from Ohio. Every day here I am seeing anti-Muslim propeganda. I see it on the news, on Facebook. Especially on Facebook. The comments left by people on a story on the ABC news page just made me sick.

http://m.facebook.com/#!/86680728811/timeline/story?ut=3&hash=-419046667699302963&wstart=0&wend=1372661999&pagefilter=1&ustart&__user=1196216067

Sorry about the link. I'm on a phone and the HTML tags are hard to remember.

It really is heartbreaking to see all the racial slurs in these comments, and to feel as though the page admins don't care. Even when violent threats are made. On another story a person threatened to kill me. But I was, I will admit, trolling him. Even so, making a rude joke does not permit one or react with a threat of physical violence.

I do not pretend to know if there is or is not a god and I am in no hurry to find out. But I will still defend these people. I have been called anti-Christian for pointing out that Christianity has had violent groups of its own, so maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge. I truly believe that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If your religion is what makes you happy, then by all means, carry on. As long as it does not interfere with my own pursuit of happiness and 99 times out of 100 it won't.

Some days I feel like it isn't even worth trying and I feel as though I have gained some sort of general dislike for Christians. But then I remind myself that one or even one-hundred individuals do not represent the whole.

When people get swept away with patriotism they tend to say things they would not under normal circumstances. People who can keep a level head while keeping their chin up are rare, but they are out there.

[Irrelevant]

I often observe how some 90% of the discussion about Islam on this website boils down to finding the worst examples of behavior done under Islamic pretense and in so doing, letting extremists and terrorists define the religion for everyone and the rest of us. Questions such as "Why don't Muslims condemn violence done by religious extremists?" are repeated in the attempt to pollute the entire religion with extremism and get 1.4 billion people sharing in the blame. What people asking this question rarely come to understand is their own lack of evidence for something isn't evidence that it doesn't exist. Even when evidence is provided to refute the implication in their question, they ignore it or discount it and eventually amnesia sets in and they go right back to asking the same question again and again on another day.

From the video: "I go to Mosques. I go to Islamic meetings. Those people who are actually Muslims and have been Muslims for generations... even they, when I ask them, have you seen what's going on TV, and they don't understand, they are like 'I know, right? What is it? What is wrong with those people? Why do they even call themselves Muslims?'"

[media=]

congratulations on finding a religous path.

and what form of islam have you converted too, Sheite or Suni,, are you going to follow shia law?? have you googled how that has impacted England? the implementation of Shia law? ...i have nothing agaisnt islam BTW, infact i know its a expression of truth in a form, same as christianity..

just curious whether your going the moderate or all the way.. Have you noticed any benifits from your conversion? it would be nice to hear a testomony of how it happened also.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Irrelevant

[Yamato]

Have you noticed any benifits from your her conversion?

This is going to be extremely difficult for some people to understand, but Islam has liberated her.

I found the following video very enlightening personally. It explains some of her rationale and I think it will also provide some of the answers that you're looking for.

[Clarakore]

I respect Islam as being one of the people of the book . This is what Muslims call us:

Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Final Day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.

—Qur'an 2:62

Still the need for someone to withdraw from the world and coverup, unless my assessment is wrong, seems unnecessary. All faiths need to change to join a postmodern world where the divisions between us become less meaningful. Expressions without withdrawing is what is needed. Can't wait to see the new Islam one day.

[Irrelevant]

yes i enjoyed that video, she has a lovely heart, very insperational. Also i like the Quote above that refers to the one God, and his various faiths ( or embodiments of truth) , we know these figures as the 7 lampstands before the throne of God, Buddah is also one of these along with others, given at diffrent times and places throughout the earth to restore it back to God, each lampstand having there own place with followers in the spirit world ( sealed under them) ....each is a individual embodiment of truth with a disponsational message from Heaven, the last of these is the Lord of The Second Advent..

i wish you well on your Jouney, and God bless.

[Yamato]

I respect Islam as being one of the people of the book . This is what Muslims call us:

Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Final Day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.

—Qur'an 2:62

Still the need for someone to withdraw from the world and coverup, unless my assessment is wrong, seems unnecessary. All faiths need to change to join a postmodern world where the divisions between us become less meaningful. Expressions without withdrawing is what is needed. Can't wait to see the new Islam one day.

I don't see how covering up is withdrawing from the world. It's not agoraphobia. If someone doesn't want you looking at certain parts of their body, that's their business, not "the world's". I'm not interested in a homogenous sea of sameness ala the Borg collective. Differences shouldn't be tolerated, they should be celebrated.

[Clarakore]

I don't see how covering up is withdrawing from the world. It's not agoraphobia. If someone doesn't want you looking at certain parts of their body, that's their business, not "the world's". I'm not interested in a homogenous sea of sameness ala the Borg collective. Differences shouldn't be tolerated, they should be celebrated.

It is a form and degree of withdrawing. Having to cover up your head while respectable also signifies other things, such as a woman has to and a man does not. I understand with most Muslim women it is their choice but it is still a degree of inequality between the sexes. I can respect their choice but not the inequality. This is their choice and I trust in time they will discard with it other than a fashion statement. Would like to see it be totally and fully one's choice and if a woman wants to go without then no other Muslim would question her faith.

That is where my issue is, with standards, with others questioning or proving faith (something totally within) by doing something to the exterior. Islam would be strengthened if less focus was given to the outside.

But the Muslim world at least can still be fashionable even with current standards: Muslim Fashion On Display In Indonesia As Models Show Islamic Style (PHOTOS)

[Clarakore]

Just to be certain I respect the choice made if a woman freely makes it. If any changes come it has to come from within and not by outsiders. I do see that some of their "free choice" is still made by cultural pressures, so it is fair we from the outside get to offer some culture pressure of our own, but balance is required, we cannot or should not try and force change, a dialogue is welcome, our views to them should be listened too, just as we have to listen to why they choose it.

When it comes to countries where a woman has no choice and is forced, all bets are off, send in teachers, set up schools, show images of modern women, change the law, so they can decide on their own.

[Yamato]

It is a form and degree of withdrawing. Having to cover up your head while respectable also signifies other things, such as a woman has to and a man does not. I understand with most Muslim women it is their choice but it is still a degree of inequality between the sexes. I can respect their choice but not the inequality. This is their choice and I trust in time they will discard with it other than a fashion statement. Would like to see it be totally and fully one's choice and if a woman wants to go without then no other Muslim would question her faith.

That is where my issue is, with standards, with others questioning or proving faith (something totally within) by doing something to the exterior. Islam would be strengthened if less focus was given to the outside.

But the Muslim world at least can still be fashionable even with current standards: Muslim Fashion On Display In Indonesia As Models Show Islamic Style (PHOTOS)

I know Muslim women who don't cover up because they don't live in countries with laws about clothing, so like the common theme in many discussions about Islam of late, attributing these oppressive codes to the religion is a mistake. This girl wears Hijab (but not Niqab or Burqa) because she wants to but if she didn't want to, she wouldn't have to, and she'd still be a Muslim. Going out in miniskirts and tank tops without a bra wouldn't be Halal. Islam (scripture) values modesty.

[SHaYap]

modesty used to be highly valued among all the faiths ... then 'modesty' was redefined ... 'virtues' mocked by 'modern open minded' society

I just wonder why the choices weren't allowed for them anymore now though ? what is so wrong about modesty or virtues ?

~

[odas]

It is a form and degree of withdrawing. Having to cover up your head while respectable also signifies other things, such as a woman has to and a man does not. I understand with most Muslim women it is their choice but it is still a degree of inequality between the sexes. I can respect their choice but not the inequality. This is their choice and I trust in time they will discard with it other than a fashion statement. Would like to see it be totally and fully one's choice and if a woman wants to go without then no other Muslim would question her faith.

That is where my issue is, with standards, with others questioning or proving faith (something totally within) by doing something to the exterior. Islam would be strengthened if less focus was given to the outside.

But the Muslim world at least can still be fashionable even with current standards: Muslim Fashion On Display In Indonesia As Models Show Islamic Style (PHOTOS)

Regarding covering up we are mixing up religion and current social accepted behavior.

In covering up there is no or almost no difference between christianity, judaism and islam. Women in all three faiths are obligated to cover their hair.

With the time and with social attitudes covering up became more of a choice in all three faiths. Even now the majority of christian women cover their hair when they go to church, more in the eastern orthodox then in the western christianity but this also depends from where you are. Spain, italy, portugal are more likely to have women cover their hair then england, germany.

Nuns cover their hair full time, just as it is commended in the bible.

Muslim woman in islamic countries wear hijabs because of many reasons. Religious, social...

Muslim women in non islamic countries wear hijabs or not equaly because of religious and social reasons.

Many would say they are forced which is partly true in islamic countries, but what about hijabs where there is no force? It is called freedom of choice. Still, in this case, many muslim women opt for the hijab, because they chose to do so.

Look at the older and more religious christian women italy, portugal, spain..they all cover their hair all the time.

[Clarakore]

Still waiting on a female Muslim convert that doesn't run out and cover up....

[Clarakore]

First of all, I’m a believer: I’m a practicing Muslim. Second, I don’t wear hijab. And from here my story starts.

One day, a male friend tagged me on a note in Facebook; it’s about a conversation between a non-Muslim man and an Islamic cleric.

The man asks: “Why does Islam oblige Muslim women to wear hijab?”

In answering the question, the cleric takes out two candies; unwraps one of them and throws them both onto the floor. He asks: “If you have to choose, which candy will you pick?”

The man answers: “Of course I’ll take the wrapped one, because it’s the clean one.”

The cleric goes, “Indeed. In Islam, we protect our women through hijab.”

Feeling disturbed with that degrading analogy, I sent him a message.

*snip*

Why Some Muslim Women Don’t Wear Hijab

Some real Muslim women do not cover up. The degrading analogy above is one the world can do without...

Also still waiting for a Muslim man to cover up. Goose, gander...

Edited June 5, 2013 by The world needs you

[odas]

Still waiting on a female Muslim convert that doesn't run out and cover up....

Every begining is hard. New converts tend to take the new religion more serious then the ones who live it since a while and are acustom.

This does apply to anything that is new.

When I was enlisted in the army, as a new recrut, I feard every little stripe. I followed the law. A year later there was not a day that I was either drunk, in jail, in a fight, out in town without propper papers. Just a regular phase.

When you start a new job you follow strictly the brake rules. Later you make your own brake rules.

[odas]

Why Some Muslim Women Don’t Wear Hijab

Some real Muslim women do not cover up. The degrading analogy above is one the world can do without...

Also still waiting for a Muslim man to cover up. Goose, gander...

Well there are many many muslims who cover up.

Arabs have theirs, pakistanis their version, singapourians theirs, and then there are european muslims who have their had covered wearing either a white cap, simmilar to the jewish one, like the albanian muslims or the french cap, favoured by the bosnian older muslims. The variaty is huge.

[libstaK]

Still waiting on a female Muslim convert that doesn't run out and cover up....

Well if my niece had converted as she was seriously considering doing she would not have covered up. Interestingly it was her muslim fiance (now husband) that put the kabosh on that idea and said he fell in love with who she was and she had no need to change to please him or his family (his mother was the one who was eager for a muslim wedding and had her nearly convinced that it would be for the best if she converted to allow that - his father, like his son, could not care less). None of her husband's family "covers up", in fact I find her mother in laws taste in clothes a little "revealing" for her age but that's just my opinion.

[odas]

I was reading a report on islam in bosnia by a german journalist a few months ago.

At one point he was talking to a young bosnian muslim woman who descided to wear a hijab. He asked what her mother said about it since she herself does not wear one. She said her mothers words were why, you are not an old grandma yet.

I must say recently it is a kind of "in", a new fashion statement rather then a religous one in bosnia to have a hijab.

[Grandpa Greenman]

OMZJ, Yamato, Why do I have to watch a video of some young girl talk about her religion. I mean if she was sitting there butt naked I might get through the whole thing, but she lost me in the first minute or so. Are you that young woman? Why don't you explain why you're a Muslim? My step-nephew is a Muslim. He told me he is a Muslim because everything he needs to know is explained by the Koran. To which I said, in other words you are unable to think for yourself. Naturally that went over like a lead balloon. If you can come up with a better reason than he did then please enlighten me.