Converting to Islam - the white Britons becoming Muslims

You —

As 22-year-old Aisha Uddin recites Surah Al-Fatiha - the first chapter of the Koran - at home with close friend Sameeah Karim, she may stumble over one word but otherwise the text is perfectly recounted.

Aisha Uddin: 'It's a change I'm happy I've made'

But unlike Sameeah, 35, who has Pakistani heritage and grew up reading the holy book, Aisha is newer to it: she used to be called Laura and only converted to Islam two years ago.

She is pale and has bright blue eyes; originally from Birmingham, until recently she dressed like many other young white British women.

Read more @ BBC News

Forum

Hajjar — Wed, 5 Jan 2011 - 00:15

i heard a snippet of this on the asian network debate programme this afternoon. unfortunately as usual the presenter was evading the fact that so many white professional women were converting to islam, out of faith and conviction in the religion. He and notable indian callers either hindu or sikh were adamant that a lot was down to forced dawah by teenage boys and older boys at uni, infactuating girls, snaring them into a web of love, before saying "you need to convert to islam or i cant be with you anymore".

Seriously it got me sooo angry, that does not explain why so many people have converted since 2001 i think it is. Neither does it explain why so many white professional women have converted. These women will not be enticed by teenage boys saying convert and marry me or else!

Clearly i dont miss much on radio or Tv, same old trash about muslims.

You — Wed, 5 Jan 2011 - 00:39

The people calling in will mostly only air their prejudices.

A recent rumour I read on London Muslims blog, the sikh guy who is a part of the EDL and always talking against Islam etc... his aggro may be because his sister converted to Islam and instead of accepting it, he went all EDL.

Hajjar — Wed, 5 Jan 2011 - 20:28

no point calling in the presenter and other callers on his/her viewpoint attack anyone who has something different to say. now if i had 3 other people with the same views as me calling in that might be something. But the researchers do find out what comment you're gonna make before going on air. so personally i think it's all a fix

i mean they got in this white convert. She's a journalist, not a teenager. They told her to come in and speak about her conversion. yet they were there trying to force her to concur with the view of one caller who said there were groups of boys at uni forcing girls to convert? When she said i wasnt called here to discuss that, but i think thats just a small minority of ignorant people who do that, she was attacked harshly, for supposedly pushing it under the carpet? Gosh i'm livid, she kept her cool, i couldn't have.

TPOS — Wed, 5 Jan 2011 - 20:31

[quote=Hajjar]no point calling in the presenter and other callers on his/her viewpoint attack anyone who has something different to say. now if i had 3 other people with the same views as me calling in that might be something. But the researchers do find out what comment you're gonna make before going on air. so personally i think it's all a fix

i mean they got in this white convert. She's a journalist, not a teenager. They told her to come in and speak about her conversion. yet they were there trying to force her to concur with the view of one caller who said there were groups of boys at uni forcing girls to convert? When she said i wasnt called here to discuss that, but i think thats just a small minority of ignorant people who do that, she was attacked harshly, for supposedly pushing it under the carpet? Gosh i'm livid, she kept her cool, i couldn't have.[/quote]
:| 🙁 :x Good for her!

The Lamp — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 - 15:34

Mashallah, she kept her cool! 🙂

The small minority of emotional blackmail should not be accepted nor is it accepted in Islam.
"There is no compulsion is religion." But the door to Islam is always open.
The words Dawa and forced don't make any sense, dawa itself means invitation.

Toyin (not verified) — Sun, 3 Apr 2011 - 18:03

Is the greatest testimony of her conversion the change in her dressing? Conversion is about discovering truth and being set free from the weight of sin. Being given a hope that transcends this life. Conversion does not make people happy. It gives them joy!! It is a spiritual experience onlt the true God can give.Has she been converted or has she just changed her library and wardrobe?

1R4M — Sat, 9 Apr 2011 - 13:13

What does having pale skin n blue eyes got to do with anything

Muslims arent a race nor are then an ethnicity

taht really really anoys me

"looking at her shes like every other white person, pale skin n blue eye, except one thing-shes a Muslim"
and what?!
how unbelievably patronising

omg u dont look muslim, ur so white
LOL
how does one LOOK like a Muslim

LookingToSee — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 - 08:00

[quote=1R4M]What does having pale skin n blue eyes got to do with anything

Muslims arent a race nor are then an ethnicity

taht really really anoys me

"looking at her shes like every other white person, pale skin n blue eye, except one thing-shes a Muslim"
and what?!
how unbelievably patronising

omg u dont look muslim, ur so white
LOL
how does one LOOK like a Muslim[/quote]

true true. but i think here they were referring to how she looks "white" not that she "doesnt look muslim" . (i dont think that makes much sense)

but its true, ive experienced it (personally and seen it happen). some people couldnt believe that east asians could be BORN muslim. they kept asking "so when did you convert? when did you convert" and the person: "i didnt dude, i was born muslim"; "but when did you CONVERT?" WHAAAAAAAAAAT?

back in the days, if you werent from a "muslim" country, you were a convert. geeeeeez... sometimes they go on and you feel like saying... "dude? am i not allowed to be born muslim?" but these days (what with my extended vocab and that) i would say something like "should you not be rejoicing in the fact that Islam has spread all the way to my lil country so that me and you BOTH were BORN muslims, and RIGHT from the beginning, we're like brothers/sisters!"

yeah..usually people who cant believe you're born muslim are those who are. i detect a slight superiority complex... just generalizing guys, dont kill me.

LookingToSee — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 - 21:34

[quote=ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE]I don't think its a superiority complex at all. Just the norms, what people are used to seeing, stereotypes...[/quote]

the norms/stereotype make you believe some stuff. they dont STOP you from believing new stuff, especially if its blood and bones talking to you in your face...

LookingToSee — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 - 22:03

[quote=ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE]I don't think thats true, if you just know something as being one way then something new will shock you initially. I think calling it a superiority complex is just being wrongly judgemental. :/[/quote]

this is a person telling you "i was born muslim" how does shock = "no you are not, you're a convert, im born muslim" what sort of shock is that?!?!

and how does "shock" stops you from accepting it, dyou think the *muslim* person is lying because...(they have too much spare time)

LookingToSee — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 - 22:39

i get the "OMG" and i find it completely fine and acceptable. its the whole going ON about it and not really accepting the fact that someone can have small eyes and be born muslim.

and the "OMG" would be a more surprised, but nicely surprised like "SubhanAllah, Allah's deen does spread" or something like that.

and i understand the ignorance part, like "really, there are muslims where you come from?" im totally okay with that.

its the whole NOT ACCEPTING IT. after being told, yes i was born muslim

Foysol89 — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 - 21:12

[quote=You]Anyone can post anonymously - as long as the chosen nick does not match an existing members nick.[/quote]

Dont you think it would be better if you changed it so you would have to register in order to post. So you don't get people posting rubbish and tgen leaving

LookingToSee — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 - 21:18

[quote=Foysol89] So you don't get people posting rubbish and tgen leaving[/quote]

especially if thats their intention. I didnt know the wordl had such mean people, i guess theres a good in everything... gotta toughen up Lills...

Foysol: admin had blocked that option after there was quite a big thing happened last summer. But it was required to unblock it. and anyway, he's gone now.

but maybe deliberate hateful anonymous posters should be banned, if thats possible?