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JEDDAH, 26 November 2005 Amid the strident smear
campaigns against Islam and Muslims all over the world, more
and more people are embracing the religion. Three American
women, who converted to Islam recently, want to live in Saudi
Arabia in the vicinity of the holy mosques.
The three women, who are now in the Kingdom accompanying
their husbands, regularly visit the Call and Guidance Center
in Jeddahs Al-Salama District to learn more about the
religion and impart their knowledge and experience to others.
According to a report carried by Al-Watan, they prefer to
settle down in the Kingdom.
Aysha came to the fold of Islam after the Sept. 11 attacks
in the United States. The kamikaze attacks on the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon ignited her interest in Islam.
A Muslim friend, Muhammad, explained the basic tenets of
Islam to Aysha, who was born and brought up in a Catholic
family in Texas. She then decided to start her journey to
discover the truth.
Aysha was the victim of a rare type of cancer and was in
hospital praying for speedy recovery. My friend Muhammad used
to visit me in the hospital and I saw him praying turning in
the direction of the Holy Kaaba. I have learned that the Kaaba
was built by the Prophet Ibrahim and is located in the center
of the world, she said.
Ayshas quick recovery influenced her decision and she did
not take long to pronounce the shahada La Ilaha Illallah Wa
Muhammad Arrasulullah (There no god but Allah and Muhammad is
His messenger).
Embracing Islam was not an easy task for Aysha. Her family
threatened to kill her. At this difficult stage, Muhammad came
to her rescue offering to marry her.
Safiya Joseph, an English teacher, said she was an ardent
follower of Christianity. She became interested in Islam when
a lawyer friend told her that he had embraced the religion 11
years ago. It was a big surprise. He explained to me the
salient features of Islam.
Being an academic, Safiya started her research on Islam.
The more I read about Islam the greater was my excitement. I
later joined an Islamic school attached to a mosque in
Maryland. There I learned about the worlds greatest
personality, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), she
said.
Hayat Othman said she was seeking the truth even when she
was a child. She was not comfortable with the Christian belief
in Trinity. I studied religions such as Buddism and Hinduism.
But they did not convince me, she said.
Live television footage of Muslims praying impressed Hayat.
She started practicing the Muslim way of praying. She thought
it would take her closer to God. Later I bought an English
translation of the Holy Quran and studied it for eight
years, she said. The verse that translated This day I have
perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you,
and have chosen for you Islam as your religion [5:3] changed
her life. My eyes welled as I felt that this Quranic verse
was addressing me, Hayat said.
A few days later she declared her belief in Islam at an
Islamic center in the US.
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