Annisa’s Thoughts on Kristiane’s Conversion to Islam

As-salamu alaykum dear reader!

My name is Annisa Omar a 23, year old Muslim born and raised in London, England. Below is my thoughts on Kristiane Backers’ conversion to Islam.
I met Kristiane late last year whilst walking home I saw a tall, pretty woman in beautiful modern Islamic dress walking towards me and I thought I should dress like this woman, I drew closer to her (ashamed somewhat of the fitted leggings I was wearing) only to see that it was Kristiane Backer – whose conversion to Islam I had recently researched, and admired. I instinctively said hello blurting out all the above, including my desire to be journalist and better my understanding of Islam. Kristiane replied very graciously and said she was impressed by my boldness in speaking to her; such an attribute she added would be perfect for journalism. Kristiane then explained she was on her way to a course to study the Islamic holy book the ‘Quran’ and invited me to come, still blushing from her compliment I accepted the invite (luckily I happened to have a long dress and scarf in my bag for which to change into).

After speaking more with Kristiane during the course, I was struck by her sheer conviction of Islamic belief coupled with her success as a TV presenter and journalist in Europe. There are of course countless other successful Muslim career women with such conviction and success in Europe. However, what makes Kristiane and other white European Muslim reverts alike different and more striking to me and I am sure to many young European Muslims is their upbringing in a wholly modern European culture; whereas most born Muslims are raised in homes following the Asian, African or Middle Eastern cultures of their parents. Such cultures more easily underpin the Islamic way of life than European or Western culture at large, for instance strong family ties, community spirit, marriage and charity are all very important in Eastern and African cultures just as in Islam. This is not to say modern European culture does not hold such values it does particularly given its’ Christian heritage, however as secularism, materialism and individualism continue to grow such values are becoming weaker. As a result, television programmes idolizing celebrities and their lavish lifestyles such as Kristiane experienced while presenting on MTV and more recent shows like X factor, Big Brother or Strictly Come Dancing have become part of the daily television diet for European Muslims. This concern of creeping militant secularism was already flagged this year, interestingly by Britain’s’ first female Muslim minister Baroness Warsi in a historic visit to the Vatican she expressed, “to create a more just society, people need to feel stronger in their religious identities and more confident in their creeds”. She added ‘one of the most worrying aspects about this militant secularization is that at its core and in its instincts it is deeply intolerant’.

Young Muslims raised in Europe are to varying degrees adopting this modern European culture, as the influence of their parents’ non-western cultures lessens from one generation to the next and they integrate further into European culture in both the public and private sphere. Note, I cannot speak for all cultural backgrounds, nor do I know the speed of this change. However, from my own experiences as a young second generation Muslim of Somali descent, born and raised in Britain my Somali culture in my life is minimal. Thus comes my dilemma how can I combine my European culture and Islamic faith?

Kristianes’ story proves one can and more fascinatingly she has chosen to do so. Unsurprisingly, many ask Kristiane for her reasons to convert given Islam, if one believes the media, is a cesspit of misogyny, violence and hate, and a religion, which caused her to forfeit her glamorous career as an MTV presenter. The truth is conversion or rather reversion as Muslims call it (Muslims believe all are born Muslims) has occurred ever since the birth of Islam and the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The universal appeal and permanency of Islam was observed by an Anglican Church Reverend, Canon Issac Taylor on the 7th October, 1887, reported in the British Times newspaper the following day he explained ‘The faith of Islam already extends from Morroco to Java, from Zanzibar to China, and is spreading across Africa with giant strides. … It is not the first propagation of Islam that has to be explained; but it is the per- manency with which it retains its hold upon its converts. … When Mahomedanism is embraced … The natives begin to dress, filth is replaced by cleanliness, and they acquire personal dignity and self- respect. Hospitality becomes a religious duty, drunkenness becomes rare, gambling is forbidden, immodest dances and the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes cease, female chastity is regarded as a virtue, industry replaces idleness, license gives place to law, order and sobriety prevail, blood feuds, cruelty to animals and to slaves are forbidden. A feeling of humanity, benevolence and brotherhood is inculcated. … Christian converts are … thousands, Moslems convert… by millions. … Islam is not an anti- Christian faith, but a half-Christian faith.’

This statement was taken from the novel ‘Faith of Islam’ written by a British convert to Islam from Christianity Abdullah Quilliam (born in 1856, Liverpool). Formerly known as William Henry Quilliam, he founded Englands’ first mosque and Islamic centre. His conversion marks the first known wave of white Europeans’ converting to Islam in Industrialized Britain. The last Ottoman Caliph appointed Abdullah to be Sheikh-ul-Islam of the British Isles and Abdullahs’ ‘Dawah’ (preaching of Islam) led to around 600 people in the UK embracing Islam. After two World Wars the Muslim community he established was destroyed but another such wave has gradually begun once again as recent media reports highlighted. Kristianes conversion is part of this wave, which expands across not only Europe but also North America and Australia. Other famous reverts include Britain’s’ Yusuf Islam formerly known as Cat Steven, Lauren Booth, United States’ Malcolm X, Muhammed Ali and Frances’ Nicolas Anelka and Bruno Metsu to name but a few. According to Faith Matters, a multi-faith organization in Britain, in 2010 there were over 100,00 Muslim converts in the United Kingdom and of these converts 56 % White British, 16% Other White, 29% non- White; 62% female and 38% male with an average conversion age of 27.5. As the fastest growing religion in the world, clearly, there is something to Islam.

I look forward to reading Kristianes’ book ‘From MTV and Mecca’ which, I will review and post here.

Salam

Annisa