英國皈依穆斯林的入教故事
The number of Britons choosing to
become Muslims has nearly doubled in the past decade, according to one of the
most comprehensive attempts to estimate how many people have embraced Islam.
Following the global spread of violent
Islamism, British Muslims have faced more scrutiny, criticism and analysis than
any other religious community. Yet, despite the often negative portrayal of
Islam, thousands of Britons are adopting the religion every year.
Estimating the number of converts
living in Britain has always been difficult because census data does not
differentiate between whether a religious person has adopted a new faith or was
born into it. Previous estimates have placed the
number of Muslim converts in the UK at between 14,000 and 25,000.
But a new study by the
inter-faith think-tank Faith Matters suggests
the real figure could be as high as 100,000, with as many as 5,000 new conversions nationwide each year.
By using data from the Scottish
2001 census – the only survey to ask respondents what their religion was at
birth as well as at the time of the survey – researchers broke down what
proportion of Muslim converts there were by ethnicity and then extrapolated the
figures for Britain as a whole.
In all they estimated that there were 60,699 converts living in Britain in 2001. With no new census planned until next year, researchers
polled mosques in London to try to calculate how many conversions take place a
year. The results gave a figure of 1,400 conversions in the capital in the past
12 months which, when extrapolated nationwide, would mean approximately 5,200 people adopting Islam every year. The figures are comparable with studies in Germany and France which found that there were around 4,000
conversions a year.
Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith
Matters, admitted that coming up with a reliable estimate of the number of
converts to Islam was notoriously difficult. "This report is the best
intellectual 'guestimate' using census numbers, local authority data and
polling from mosques," he said. "Either way few people doubt that the
number adopting Islam in the UK has risen dramatically in the past 10
years."
Asked why people were converting in
such large numbers he replied: "I think
there is definitely a relationship between conversions being on the increase
and the prominence of Islam in the public domain. People are interested in finding out what Islam is all about
and when they do that they go in different directions. Most shrug their
shoulders and return to their lives but some will inevitably end up liking what
they discover and will convert."
Batool al-Toma, an Irish born
convert to Islam of 25 years who works at the Islamic Foundation and runs the
New Muslims Project, one of the earliest groups set up specifically to help
converts, said she believed the new figures
were "a little on the high side".
"My guess would be the real
figure is somewhere in between previous estimates, which were too low, and this
latest one," she said. "I definitely think there has been a
noticeable increase in the number of converts in recent years. The media often tries to pinpoint specifics but the
reasons are as varied as the converts themselves."
Inayat Bunglawala, founder of
Muslims4UK, which promotes active Muslim engagement in British society, said
the figures were "not implausible".
"It would mean that around one in 600 Britons is a convert to the faith," he said. "Islam is a missionary religion and many
Muslim organisations and particularly university students' Islamic societies
have active outreach programmes designed to remove popular misconceptions about
the faith."
The report by Faith Matters also
studied the way converts were portrayed by the media and found that while 32 per cent of articles on Islam published since 2001
were linked to terrorism or extremism, the figure jumped to 62 per cent with
converts.
Earlier this month, for example, it
was reported that two converts to Islam who used the noms de guerre Abu Bakr
and Mansoor Ahmed were killed in a CIA drone strike in an area of Pakistan with
a strong al-Qa'ida presence.
"Converts who become extremists or terrorists are, of course, a
legitimate story," said Mr Mughal.
"But my worry is that the saturation of such stories risks equating all
Muslim converts with being some sort of problem when the vast majority are
not". Catherine Heseltine, a 31-year-old convert to Islam, made history
earlier this year when she became the first female convert to be elected the
head of a British Muslim organisation – the Muslim Public Affairs Committee.
"Among certain sections of society,
there is a deep mistrust of converts,"
she said. "There's a feeling that the one thing worse than a Muslim is a
convert because they're perceived as going over the other side. Overall,
though, I think conversions arouse more curiosity than hostility."
How to become a Muslim
Islam is one of the easiest
religions to convert to. Technically, all a person needs to do is recite the
Shahada, the formal declaration of faith, which states: "There is no God
but Allah and Mohamed is his Prophet." A single honest recitation is all
that is needed to become a Muslim, but most converts choose to do so in front
of at least two witnesses, one being an imam.
Converts to Islam
Hana Tajima, 23, fashion
designer
Hana Tajima converted to Islam when
she was 17. Frustrated by the lack of variety in Islamic clothing for converts
she founded Maysaa, a fashion house that designs western-inspired clothing that
conforms to hijab.
"It's true that I never
decided to convert to Islam, nor was there a defining moment where I realised I
wanted to be Muslim. My family aren't particularly religious. I was
interested in religion, but very disinterested in how it related to my life.
I grew up in rural Devon where my Japanese father was the ethnic diversity of
the village. It wasn't until I studied at college that I met people who
weren't of the exact same background, into Jeff Buckley, underground hip-hop,
drinking, and getting high. I met and became friends with a few Muslims
in college, and was slightly affronted and curious at their lack of wanting to
go out to clubs or socialise in that sense. I think it was just the shock
of it, like, how can you not want to go out, in this day and age.
"It was at about that time
that I started to study philosophy, and without sounding too much like I dyed
my hair black and wore my fringe in front of my face, I began to get confused
about my life. I was pretty popular, had good friends, boyfriends, I had
everything I was supposed to have, but still I felt like 'is that it?' So
these things all happened simultaneously, I read more about religion, learned
more about friends of other backgrounds, had a quarter life crisis. There
were things that drew me to Islam in particular, it wasn't like I was reaching
for whatever was there. The fact that the Qur'an is the same now as it
ever was means there's always a reference point. The issues of women's rights
were shockingly contemporary. The more I read, the more I found myself
agreeing with the ideas behind it and I could see why Islam coloured the lives
of my Muslim friends. It made sense, really, I didn't and still don't
want to be Muslim, but there came a point where I couldn't say that I wasn't
Muslim.
"Telling my family was the
easy part. I knew they'd be happy as long as I was happy, and they could
see that it was an incredibly positive thing. My friends went one of two
ways, met with a lack of any reaction and lost to the social scene, or
interested and supportive. More the former, less the latter."
Denise Horsley, 26, dance
teacher
Denise Horsley lives in North
London. She converted to Islam last year and is planning to marry her Muslim
boyfriend next year.
"I was introduced to Islam by
my boyfriend Naushad. A lot of people ask whether I converted because of him
but actually he had nothing to do with it. I was interested in his faith but I
went on my own journey to discover more about religion.
"I bought loads of books on
all the different religions but I kept coming back to Islam - there was
something about it that just made sense, it seemed to answer all the questions
I had.
"I would spend hours in the
library at Regents Park Mosque reading up on everything from women's rights to
food. Before I went to prayers for the first time I remember sitting in my car
frantically looking up how to pray on my Blackberry. I was so sure people would
know straight away that I wasn't a Muslim but if they did no-one seemed to
care.
"During Ramadan I'd sit and
listen to the Qur'anic recitations and would be filled with such happiness and
warmth. One day I decided there and then to take my shahada. I walked down to
the reception and said I was ready to convert, it was as simple as that.
"My friends and family were
rather shocked, I think they expected there would be some sort of huge baptism
ceremony but they were very supportive of my decision. I think they were just
pleased to see me happy and caring about something so passionately.
"I grew up Christian and went
to a Catholic school. Islam to me seemed to be a natural extension of Christianity.
The Qur'an is filled with information about Jesus, Mary, the angels and the
Torah. It's part of a natural transition.
"I do now wear a headscarf but
it wasn't something I adopted straightaway. Hijab is such an important concept in Islam but it's not just about
clothing. It's about being modest in everything you do. I started dressing more modestly - forgoing low cut tops and
short skirts - but before I donned a headscarf I had to make sure I was
comfortable on the inside before turning my attention to the outside. Now I
feel completely protected in my headscarf. People treat you with a new level of respect, they judge you by
your words and your deeds, not how you look. It's the kind of respect every dad
wants for their daughter.
"There have been some
problems. Immediately after converting I isolated myself a bit, which I now
recognise was a mistake and not what Islam teaches. I remember a lady on a bus
who got really angry and abusive when she found out I had converted. I also
noticed quite a few friends stopped calling. I think they just got tired of
hearing me say no - no to going clubbing, no to going down the pub.
"But my good friends embraced
it. They simply found other things to do when I was around. Ultimately I'm
still exactly the same person apart from the fact that I don't drink, don't eat
pork and pray five times a day. Other than that I'm still Denise."
Daoud, 23
Daoud was a self-confirmed
"racist" two years ago who knew nothing about Islam and supported the
BNP. Now a Muslim, he describes himself as a
Salafi - the deeply socially conservative
and ultra-orthodox sect of Islam whose followers try to live exactly like the
Prophet did.
"I was very ignorant to Islam
for most of my life and then I went on holiday to Morocco, which was the first
time I was exposed to Muslims. I was literally a racist before Morocco and by
the time I was flying home on the plane a week later, I had already decided to
become a Muslim."
"I realised Islam is not a
foreign religion, but had a lot of similarities with what I already believed.
When I came back home to Somerset, I spent three months trying to find local
Muslims, but there wasn't even a mosque in my town. I eventually met Sufi
Muslims who took me to Cyprus to convert.
"When I came back, I was
finding out a lot of what they were saying was contradictory to what it said in
the Qur'an. I wasn't finding them very authentic, to be honest. I went to
London and became involved with Hizb-ut-Tahrir, the political group who call
for the establishment of an Islamic state.
"But while I believe in the
benefits of Sharia law, I left this group as well. The problem was it was too
into politics and not as concerned with practicing the religion. For me, it is
about keeping an Islamic appearance and studying hard. I think we do need an
Islamic state, but the way to achieve it is not through political activism or
fighting. Allah doesn't change the situation of people until they see what's
within themselves.
"I have a big dislike for
culture in Islamic communities, when it means bringing new things into the
religion, such as polytheism or encouraging music and dance. There is something
pure about Salafi Muslims; we take every word of the Qur'an for truth. I
have definitely found the right path. I also met my wife through the community
and we are expecting our first child next year."
Paul Martin, 27
Paul Martin was just a student when
he decided to convert to Islam in an ice-cream shop in Manchester four years
ago. Bored of what he saw as the hedonistic lifestyle of many of his friends at
university and attracted to what he calls "Islam's emphasis on seeking
knowledge," he says a one-off meeting with an older Muslim changed his
life.
"I liked the way the Muslims
students I knew conducted themselves. It's nice to think about people having
one partner for life and not doing anything harmful to their body. I just
preferred the Islamic lifestyle and from there I looked into the Qur'an. I was
amazed to see Islam's big emphasis on science.
"Then I was introduced by a
Muslim friend to a doctor who was a few years older than me. We went for a
coffee and then a few weeks later for an ice cream. It was there that I said I
would like to be a Muslim. I made my shahada
right there, in the ice cream shop. I know
some people like to be all formal and do it in a mosque, but for me religion is
not a physical thing, it is what is in your heart.
"I hadn't been to a mosque
before I became a Muslim. Sometimes it can be bit daunting, I mean I don't
really fit into this criteria of a Muslim person. But there is nothing to say
you can't be a British Muslim who wears jeans and a shirt and a jacket. Now in
my mosque in Leeds, many different languages are spoken and there are lots of
converts.
"With my family, it was
gradual. I didn't just come home and say I was a Muslim. There was a long
process before I converted where I wouldn't eat pork and I wouldn't drink. Now,
we still have Sunday dinner together, we just buy a joint of lamb that is
halal.
"If someone at college had
said to me 'You are going to be a Muslim', I would not in a million years have
believed it. It would have been too far-fetched. But now I have just come back
from Hajj - the pilgrimage Muslims make to Mecca."
Stuart Mee, 46
Stuart Mee is a divorced civil
servant who describes himself as a "middle-of-the-road Muslim."
Having converted to Islam last year after talking with Muslim colleagues at
work, he says Islam offers him a sense of
community he feels is missing in much of Britain today.
"Everything is so
consumer-driven here, there are always adverts pushing you to buy the next
thing. I knew there must be something longer term and always admired the sense
of contentment within my colleagues' lives, their sense of peace and calmness.
It was just one of those things that happened - we talked, I read books and I
related to it.
"I emailed the Imam at London
Central Mosque and effectively had a 15 minute interview with him. It was about
making sure that this was the right thing for me, that I was doing it at the
right time. He wanted to make sure I was committed. It is a life changing
decision.
"It is surprisingly easy, the
process of converting. You do your shahada, which is the declaration of your
faith. You say that in front of two witnesses and then you think, 'What do I do
next?' I went to an Islamic bookstore and bought a child's book on how to pray.
I followed that because, in Islamic terms, I was basically one month old.
"I went to a local mosque in
Reading and expected someone to stop me say, 'Are you a Muslim?' but it didn't
happen. It was just automatic acceptance. You can have all the trappings of
being a Muslim - the beard and the bits and pieces that go with it, but Islam
spreads over such a wide area and people have different styles, clothes and
approaches to life.
"Provided I am working within
Islamic values, I see no need in changing my name and I don't have any
intention of doing it. Islam has bought peace, stability, and comfort to my
life. It has helped me identify just what is important to me. That can only be
a good thing."
Khadijah Roebuck, 48
Khadijah Roebuck was born Tracey
Roebuck into a Christian family. She was married for twenty five years and
attended church with her children every week while they lived at home. Now,
divorced and having practiced Islam for the last six months, she says she is still not sure what motivated her to make
such a big change to her life.
"I know it sounds odd, but one
day I was Tracey the Christian and the next day I was Khadijah the Muslim, it
just seemed right. The only thing I knew about Muslims before was that they
didn't drink alcohol and they didn't eat pork.
"I remember the first time I
drove up to the mosque. It was so funny; I was in my sports car and had the
music blaring. I wasn't sure if I was even allowed to go in but I asked to
speak to the man in charge, I didn't even know he was called an Imam. Now I
wear a hijab and pray five times a day.
"My son at first was
horrified, he just couldn't believe it. It's been especially hard for my mum,
who is Roman Catholic and doesn't accept it at all. But the main thing I feel
is a sense of peace, which I never found with the Church, which is interesting.
Through Ramadan, I absolutely loved every second. On the last day, I even
cried.
"It is interesting because
people sometimes confuse cultures with Islam. Each Muslim brings their
different culture to the mosque and different takes on the religion. There are
Saudi Arabians, Egyptians and Pakistanis and then of course there is me. I slot
in everywhere. A lot of the other sisters say to me, 'That is why we love you,
Khadijah, you are just yourself.'"
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