Readers’ feedback

From Shaherazad Umbreen
Dear Kristiane
Thanks for inspiring me with your book Kristiane. I found it hugely enlightening and as a thank you I have named a shoe after you, “Dream then Do in Silver.” I love how you champion the empowerment of women and that is what my brand is all about. Profits go to educating women living in poverty. My website is www.shoesbyshaherazad.com
Thanks again. I think you’re absolutely amazing.
Best Wishes,
Shaherazad

From Ghulam Rabbani 
Respected Ms. Kristiane Backer,

Aslam o Alikum, today I finished your book and saw your interview with Moiz, after listening your views I have tears in my eyes, GOD BLESS YOU.  You are preaching Islam, educating people and fighting in the world for Islam, in my opinion YOU ARE A SAINT (WALI) . I have yearn to see you face to face whenever you visit Pakistan. Again I salute you for your efforts. No can rewards you except ALLAH. I love you ms.

From Baghdad – Iraq
Dear Ms. Kristian Baker,

First and foremost , I hope you are fine , and doing very fruitful works.
“Today Is the happiest day in my life !!!” as I wrote on my page on facebook.
Do you know why ? because I have got a copy of your book ( the English one ). They sent it to me by DHL from Amman- Jordan. It cost about 30 $. I would like to tell you honestly that I was ready to pay 100$ for it , because it is the most worthy and precious book I have ever seen and read. May Allah bless you , and make your life full with joy , success , innovation ,  excellency , and prosperity.
Thanks and best regards,
Yours Truly,
Eng. Ra’ad Salih

 

From Egypt

Assalam Alikum Kristiane,

I am Hamza, Egyptian pharmacist and young brother of yours, I finished reading your book and I loved it! I am not used to reading books, but when I started reading your book, I had the feeling that I am travelling and enjoying the experiences. The book took me through a journey to places I wished to visit, and introduced me to other aspects of Islam which I never touched before, it made me better spiritually and showed me the beauty of Sufism (which I had no idea about other than that it is kind of Bidaa), it taught me to be modest and always open my mind and think and not take things as it is. The book made me happy and sad and excited and gave me the feeling of having an actual travel journey, not on religious sides only but in general matter and knowledge of life 🙂
Lastly, I had many non Muslim Friends from Canada, America, Poland, Slovakia and England, and I was thinking about a modern non traditional way to introduce Islam to them, your book is exactly what meets their interests!! and they will not feel that some one is preaching them! This Christmas I bought 5 copies and sent it to them as Christmas gift, and they liked it and started reading.

May Allah bless you and bless the work you do and always inspire you as you inspired me and other Muslims and non Muslims.

Thank you so much for telling your story in this very interesting book and I hope to see you in some event somewhere around the world.

 

Mukhtar

Salaams, Kristiane

I pray you are well at the beginning of a New Gregorian Year. The blessing of Allah we have in being reminded of the virtue of Lady Maryam and Prophet Isa and the great exemplars in the predecessors of Prophet Muhammad is truly a big blessing.
From here:

“I gave a good neighbour and friend a copy of your book for Christmas and I have this afternoon received the following testimonial which I thought I should share with you:

“Thank you so much.

Kristiane would not claim to be perfect or always right, but she is always honest. Totally honest. That is so refreshing.

As I read her book I made a mark in the margin every time she, or someone, or the Quran, said something that I know is in the Bible. There must be well over a hundred such marks in my autographed copy.

I feel I should write to her and thank her. ”

I have pointed Tony to the address on your site and you should receive a personal note of gratitude from a practising Christian missionary for your writing.

I hope that after the LFT dinner you will be able to share some of your experiences with senior students at the Madressa on how you have lived Islam over the past two decades and managed to communicate across cultures and faiths.

With prayers for your continued success in 2013 and beyond.

 

Ivana H

I just finished reading your book, mashaallah wonderful!!!!! I am proud of you, may Allah bless you and reward you, well done!!! Many aspects of your story really touched me as I have very similar experiences, especially with men, it is really a story. I am still more or less silent despite completing my PhD in islamic law opened me some door for more presentations and speaking opportunities.

 

Aisha London

Had a late night, couldn’t put your book down, was 3am before I forced myself to stop reading, had to be up at 7am for a 4 day trial!
Cried at 2 points in the book, once when you prayed with Dr Amina, for IK and JG’s happiness on their wedding day, what a BIG heart!
And secondly what you tell the lady about her grandfather’s car crash (crying on tube this morning).
Best book I’ve read this year. So open and honest. Reading very slowly as I want to take it all in.

 

Adnan H

It was a great pleasure to meet you in person, and your book was a great read, particularly the section dealing with the healing of the soul.
I continue to make dua for you and your successful efforts in propogating Allah’s message.
(As one Goethe fan to another “Was glänzt, ist für den Augenblick geboren, Das Echte bleibt der Nachwelt unverloren”).

 

Beth B 

I have just finished reading your book which I found in a charity shop and bought because I am interested in why people make life changing decisions such as changing their beliefs. Your book was very interesting and I learned a lot about MTV (which I knew nothing about at all) as well as Islam (about which I have already read several books). I was very moved by your journey into the heart of Islam and it makes me feel hopeful for the future of a ‘western’ Islam which seeks to translate the essentials of Islamic belief into western culture. I am speaking as a Christian who is dismayed by the violence and intolerance I see in Muslim countries and here in Europe. I can see the sacrifices that you have made for your faith as you were unable to find a suitable Muslim husband and have not had the full family life that you must have hoped for. I pray that you will be rewarded for your faithfulness. I will be following up with books by Annemarie Schimmel and Gai Eaton, suggestions that I have got from your text. There is much that is beautiful in Islam and I would like to know more about it. I hope your book is widely read.

Nadia Amalik

I had the chance to meet you a few months ago at one of the events organised by Emerald. Through our conversations, I had highlights of your personal story and you told me about your book launch in Sept. I was really looking forward to reading it and also I wanted to share it with my friend’s wife, an English lady who since she lives in Singapore has wanted to learn more about Islam but did not know “where to start”. She is from a Christian background but did not receive any religious education from her parents. She has recently embraced Islam and asked me some guidance. I thought your own story could help her at all levels of her new path and so I sent her your book. She said that it strengthens her conviction of embracing Islam. I wanted to share with you her feedback I have just received:

“I just wanted to email to thank you so much for the book you gave me by Kristiane Backer. I couldn’t put it down…& in parts I was in tears! So inspirational & very well written. Thank you again for the book. Lisa Xxxx”

Reading your personal journey to Islam has emphasised her commitment toward Allah.

May Allah reward you for devoting yourself in bringing the essence of Islam to the centre of Western societies. May Allah’s blessings light up your path and lead you to eternal love, happiness and success.

 

Shakeel “MSC”

This a delightfully written book describing Kristiane’s spiritual journey to redefining herself and being much happier and content with her life and choices. One is proud of the role model she has established and counters much of negative stereo type hype in the media about her chosen faith. She is a tremendously impressive ambassador of the faith of Islam and the book provides a great insight into what motivated her to embark on the spiritual journey and what she has achieved and shown a true reflection of the faith. Highly recommended book.

 

LostLouie GoesGoethe

This isn’t a gentile stroll through a life mapped out in the luxury of certainty, but of a courageous leap of conviction into a journey unknown. The highs and lows of a life during and post an MTV heyday are depicted in detail, living amongst a host of islamic scholars and close friends, but whilst also among the regulatory stellar stars of the music industry showbiz.

As a literary wordsmith the writer isn’t a novice (leaning on her journalistic experiences) and possesses sufficient tools in her locker to depict colourful recreations of meetings, people’s reactions, exotic locations, architectural and environmental observations in the East, Middle East, North Africa and Europe; all entertainingly contrasted, and well supplemented with authentic quotes from Quran, Hadith and poetry from mystics and philosophers. The conclusions to each decision are logically argued with clear thought processes.

Whether misunderstood, sometimes wronged or taken advantage of, her eyes and heart are never diverted from observing the higher acts of human kindness and reciprocation that she observed throughout the muslim world. For established muslims this is a refreshing path of discovery of a known world by new eyes and new muslims will find the unearthing of a great deal of relevant information helpful and a source of encouragement from a bright mind. In this time of mass misinformation on Islam the non-muslim reader will gain a much needed insight to this incredible faith’s practicalities and philosophies in the modern world; throughout this serious business, however, this book will also entertain with a cool sense of (rare Anglo-German) humour.

 

Alex Cappellini-Kodro

With the Berlin Wall reduced to installation art and the global triumph of liberal capitalism assured, a mesmerisingly beautiful European television presenter experiences a crisis of the soul. Through a chance encounter with an international sports star she is propelled into a domain which makes her question the most essential precepts of her existence; through losing the world, she ends up gaining the universe.

The above text reads like a précis for a contemporary work of magical realism, and notwithstanding the entirely factual nature of the first English-language edition of From MTV to Mecca (German and Dutch versions having preceded this volume), the narrative of former MTV and NBC Europe icon Kristiane Backer at times mirrors that of Pamuk and Calvino: there is a certain reflexivity and profundity that fans of The Black Book or If on a winter’s night a traveler will doubtless recognise and admire.

If anything, however, Backer’s work proffers an even scarcer modality: that searing luminosity concomitant with the sincerest quests of the soul. It is rare indeed for the limitations of even the most glamourous designer lifestyle to be perceived so acutely, and rarer still for an individual to surrender so honestly to a path whose call few heed. The transcendence required for both these actions entirely penetrates this book.

From MTV to Mecca represents nothing less than a journey of enchantment: it is no exaggeration to state that this is one of the most important works to be published in any genre since the year 2000. Anyone with the remotest interest in literature, spirituality, intercultural dialogue or pop culture will regard this book as a reference point; an inspiration; in short, a treasure!

 

Gul

It’s such a well written book. very matter a fact, honest and inspiring. you don’t have to be a Muslim to enjoy it.

16 thoughts on “Readers’ feedback

  1. I have just finished reading your book and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. I empathised with your spiritual journey and could really relate to the various experiences you went through in order to discover the path which was right for you. Sometimes when you are discovering Islam, it seems like such a burden is placed on you by the expectations of other people when in reality if we listened to our own conscience, we would know what is right for us. Inshallah I will pray that you keep true to yourself and your faith. Love and Duas Fozia

  2. I read your book with much interest, about your journey to find ‘sirat al-mustaqim’ and pray that Allah enables you to reach the goal. Ameen. When one sees turmoil and unrest in the world and particularly the violence and intolerance displayed by some Muslims, I feel that the answer to these problems has already been given to us by following Islam in its pristine purity as taught by the Holy Founder of Islam, Prophet Muhammad (saw). I understand that much of your time is spent in promoting dialogue and understanding between faith and cultures, and wondered if you ever came across the Ahmadi Muslims who believe that renaissance of Islam can only be
    achieved by the Promised Messiah & Mahdi who has already appeared.
    http://www.loveforallhatredfornone.org/

  3. Dear Kristiane

    Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu

    Just to let you know I found your book absolutely riveting, I couldn’t put it down.

    Anyway, now that I have finished reading it, I think it is a really valuable book especially for converts to read – the spiritual aspects of your journey are fascinating and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone I meet to read!

    Well done!

    Lots of love, Ruqaiyah x

  4. Shafiq

    I am a Muslim and born in Pakistan. I moved to UK few years back. I got chance to read your book and it was so inspirational and moving. Your journey and struggle is amazing example for the people who are born Muslim like me. I felt ashamed of myself as don’t pray regularly. I was far away from my religion, my prophet and my Allah. This book brought me back to my Allah, my beloved Prophet and my Islam. Thank you Kristiane and may Allah give you best of Iman and Health.

  5. Hi Kristiane, I cannot put your book down! I have been in tears reading about your struggles. I’m a convert myself. My husband is Moroccan & we have found your book a great source of discussion. Your account is open & honest and I’m sure it will help both born Muslims & converts or rather those that submit to the will of Allah. I do not like this word ‘convert’. Your writing is superb & I will definitely recommend it to friends 🙂 p.s we are not impressed with Rachid..!

    congratulations on the book 🙂

    Lisa

  6. Hi Kristiane…

    Iam so happy that i met you yesterday at the Djanogoly school academy. You lightened my heart so much, and i love your book. I enjoyed it so much, it was like i was on that journey with you. May Allah reward you so much for becoming who you are today. Also I pray you will find love one day, because you deserved to be loved through everything you have been through. A very inspirational book, and i would like to say please write another one. May Allah give you a long lasting life and good health… Ameen.

    With Lots of love
    Maimoonah Ahmed..xxx

  7. Kristiane Backer’s memoir From MTV To Mecca is a truly insightful, enjoyable and informative insight into the journey of a converstion to Islam.

    As I noted on my Twitter account, I hadn’t heard of sister Kristiane previously despite her fame working with MTV in the early 1990’s, but the book highlighted why many people in the entertainment industry, despite huge success, still feel an emptiness that professional success can not fill.

    It also shows that having a small piece of open-mindedness in experiencing and getting to know other peoples cultures can also have benefits. Her friendship with former Pakistan World Cup winning captain Imran Khan was the key to her life change and her conversion to Islam at the age of 30.

    Kristiane descriptively describes her journey into Pakistan in the early 90s, when the country (unlike now) had beautiful scenery and a warm surrounding that endeared Westerners and third-generation Pakistanis returning to visit relatives.

    With many of the conversions to Islam and especially women, the key moment seems to be a realisation of something more spiritually missing from their lives. A career which had seen her interview and socialise with many leading names from the world of music, still lacked that inner happiness.

    The book will be hugely comforting to other Muslim converts, especially women, who will sympathise, smile and resonate with Kristiane’s difficulty in accepting the strong practices of Islam. But as the converts may realise, over time and practice, Kristiane was able to overcome any temptations and more so, it increased her thirst for knowledge.

    The structuring of the book keeps you reading as she discusses her many trips abroad (Bosnia, Turkey and Morocco) and the different experiences and moments that it brought. It talks of her family’s initial reluctance but gradual acceptance of their daughter’s desire to embrace a new religion.

    What surprised me about her story was the setback of her two marriages failing. The second one which brought to me a sense of anger that a newly sister into the religion could be treated so harshly despite her attempts to compromise and adjust to her husband’s more sterner principles. That could have undone a person’s faith but after some low moments, she overcomes and strengthens her desire to become better.

    It also shows what is needed for Islam at the moment, good PR. She has done work with the Inspired By Muhammed campaign and used her position to speak positively and to a diverse audience about Islam.

    For those new to Islam or unsure of its beliefs, the book neatly has a concise and brief insight into the religion, filled with a glossary so another plus point of picking it up.

    Kristiane’s book defines spiritualism, the quest to search for it, the acceptance of it and the desire to maintain it.

  8. Salam Kristiane,
    I’m currently reading your book and enjoying it very much, I think I only have a few chapters left!
    I am very much in to Sufism aswell. And was really moved by your experiences at Hajj. May Allah swt continue to bless you and help u to touch people’s heart (ESP non Muslims) who view Islam as a threat. It’s such a peaceful religion and I really admire everything u have been through and overcome.
    Anyway, wishing u well
    Anila. X

  9. salaam alaikoom dear sister,

    I would like to invite you to Rotterdam, the Netherlands for a gathering with Muslims and non Muslims together.
    Is there a possibility for you to fit this in your agenda?
    This would be great.
    Kind regards,
    Tural Koc

  10. Salams Kristiane May Allah bless you and give all of us with the same wisdom and love He has blessed you with, (Amen) I have just finished reading your book and frankly I wished it went on for ever, it was that good, (Mashallah)You have really awaken my spirituality with your book,( Shukria) Please make an effort and come to Chicago and inspire us and our female community further with your presence.

    Thank you for doing so much for Islam. You are a true inspiration.

    Kindest Regards

    Anjum Sarwar

  11. i

    I am a Malaysian. I got to know about your book when a friend in London posted it on facebook. She read your book before bedtime and finished reading by subuh (dawn) prayers. I instantly I ordered the book through Amazon and have just finished reading it yesterday. And I have passed it to my husband to read. Like others, your book is so inspirational, and it moved me to tears when reading. I just feel like I want to read it over and over again. Although I am a born Muslim, I find that I am also learning a lot from you – your determination, your perspective of Islam and whole lot of others. You are just amazing! I really hope you can come to Malaysia one day to promote your book, your thoughts and your experience. I posted my comment on facebook saying that your book is the best I have read so far. Congratulations and well done!

  12. Dearest Sister Kristiane Backer,
    As Salaam O Alaikum.

    It was just by word of mouth that I learned about your book. I happen to live in New Jersey,USA and the only way available to me was to contact my local “Hamilton Township Library” and they had no clue as to the book but took down the order so that no sooner they make it available they will lend it to me. Almost 3 months passed when one fine morining they rang me informing me that it has been made available. I rushed to the library and got the book. I went through it once but the reading was so satisfying that I repeated the whole exercise again but still I felt something amiss and reading it the 3rd time within the space of the sanctioned one month of borrowing. As I read it I feel the inner sense of contentment. Although a traditional muslim yet the information I eked out of it I feel as if I am talking to some one from my own family. I think I am better human being as well as better muslim. It has rejuvenated my eeman. I owe Sister Backer tremendous heartfelt thanks for refreshing my belief. May Allah protect you and bestow upon you his choicest bleesings, Amen.

    Brotherly yours,

    Dr.Rafat Shamim., NJ., USA.
    Monday,March 11, 2013.

  13. Dear Kristiane,
    As Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatahu.
    It was an immense pleasure to read your book From MTV to Mecca.
    I applaud the consistency and grit in your quest for a faith of your choice.I was enlightened by your perspective.In many ways even born muslims are either confused or misled, and books like these really help in following the right path.The way you have weaved muslims from different countries into a common group, unified by their belief and love for Allah,came as a balm at a time when the Muslim world seems to be fragmented by war,oppression and blind rage.I have sent you an invitation on Linkedin,kindly accept the same as I would really love to be in touch with you.
    May Allah reward you for your herculean efforts for the ummah, Ameen.

  14. I’m Imran,
    By reading this book I got many examples of present to Toward Islam and I just completed Chapter 12 A New Beginning ,After reading this chapter My soul says “At present you must surely start a beginning by performing Umrah”.And I got good Invocation.This is second life I’m reading.First was Prophet Mohammad(PBUH)..

    Thanks for giving beautiful words of yours Life

  15. Assalam Alikom Sister, for me you are very special as you are blessed with qualities like wisdom, honesty, hard working, steadfast, open minded, thoughtful and very kind………………………………….and for ever describing you in a good and positive way.
    ALLAH sent you as a Muslim in the west so that you convey the message of Islam properly and carefully and truthfully to non Muslims. I am very proud of you and your character and your Iman(belief).
    Never stop your amazing work because the media is not helping Muslims or Islam
    May ALLAH bless you

Leave a Reply to Imran Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.