Why Do Westerners Convert to Islam?

What we want to discuss today is really what is happening, and in which way people could be attracted to Islam. And still when they are within the Muslim communities in the West which kind of problems which kind of challenges they are facing which is not always easy. When I’m very often asked by Muslim converts saying “OK, you have to say something about us because we are like a minority within the Muslim community.” These are very critical and important questions. So, people are attracted to Islam, towards its simplicity, the very essence and principles of Islam, and then when they come within the community these are the problems that they have to face. So these are questions that we want to tackle today. To answer these questions I’m joined by the director of the New Muslims project at the Islamic Foundation, Batool al-Toma. Batool, thank you for being with us today. You have watched the clip. I think, yes, something is happening in the West which is quite clear from the fact that people are getting attracted to Islam. You have been involved in dealing with converted people coming to Islam for the last 15 years. You yourself are a convert. If you were to respond to this very simple question: Why is this move towards Islam so frequent in our societies in the West?

Batool al-Toma: Well, it’s quite difficult really because the attractions are wide and very varied, and people come to Islam for all sorts of different reasons. Obviously, one of the reasons since time immemorial has been the fact that people meet other Muslims, and there is an attraction there. There is personal relationship, and so they want to get married. This is one reason and this will always be there. We should always sort of look at these kinds of situations when somebody converts to Islam for the sake of marriage. There has always been the suggestion that they are not quite good Muslims because they converted to Islam for that specific reason. But you know, this is not for us to decide. Allah’s plan is much greater than our plan. And so Allah may have brought them to this situation for a reason.

Tariq Ramadan: It’s a very important point. You are saying that the reasons why you come to Islam say nothing about the sincerity and the depth of your faith. It could be a reason that’s apparent to all as marriage, but at the end of the day your intention, your heart, could change over the process of becoming a Muslim? They have found something which is peace and harmony in Islam, and it has drawn them further in.

Batool al-Toma: Indeed, very much so. And you will often find that people who have converted to Islam for marriage or have married a Muslim and not had to convert in the situation of women, the women often become Muslims and become extremely sincere and practicing people. And they actually become a lesson and an example to other Muslims.

Tariq Ramadan: So, this is one dimension and it could be the majority situation in fact when you have people coming to know each other and its for marriage. But we also have people like Cat Stevens who became Yusuf Islam, it was something that was his relationship with the Qur’an. He read the Qur’an, he got the Qur’an from his brother, he read the Qur’an. And you have other people like Cassius Clay for example coming to Islam without anything which has to do with being in a relationship with someone. Instead, it was because of the very essence of the message which is there: one God and that your life has a meaning.

Batool al-Toma: And of course people come to Islam for all sorts of different reasons as I said. Because of all the dreadful situations that had occurred around the world, and have happened because Muslims have interpreted the Qur’an in terms of wanting to carry out these catastrophies  for religious reasons. This has triggered many non-Muslims to want to look into Islam to see what does this religion say about terrorism, peace, peaceful coexistence with other people from other faiths and so on. They have been shocked and surprised by what they found in the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet peace be upon him.

And I have had people come to me saying “I want to convert to Islam but I’m more shocked, I’m surprised that I have come this distance because it is not a faith that I would ever wish to look into.” But somehow because they have read into Islam in order to try to understand what goes on in the mind of Muslims who use their faith in order to carry out these terrible atrocities around the world. And they have found something which is peace and harmony in Islam, and it has drawn them further in. They were unable to unhitch themselves from what they are reading and eventually they become Muslims.

Again you could have students who are doing a module in Art in a university, and they are introduced to Islamic art as part of their university degree course. And then they begin to realize this connection between art and the Creator, and you know how the artist and the Creator, the artist manifests the Creator’s beauty and spirituality around the world. So, again it could be so many different reasons.

Tariq Ramadan: Yes, and we had so many stories coming from Iraq, Afghanistan, soldiers coming to know people and to learn more about Islam. And what you said is quite important about these different ways, but once again I think it’s quite important not to judge the way but our sincerity with a way because it’s something which is quite important.

Batool al-Toma: Exactly, and to remember that Allah opens the way, lights the way, removes the veils for us to be guided. So it’s not for us to judge others, which is quite important. (onislam.net)