Summary: Converting to a new religion is never an easy thing. Therersquo;s a lot to learn and, of course, the issue of how to break the news to family and loved ones. Things can be even more complicated for non-Muslim women who convert to Islam hellip; most of the time. ldquo;I feel really blessed because my family reacted much better than other families Irsquo;ve heard about.rdquo; Sarah Thompson is a native of Noblesville, Indiana. She grew up in what she would call a Christian household but says she always felt like something was missing and eventually left Christianity. It wasnrsquo;t until she began exploring Islam that she says she felt like she found a spiritual home. Thompson converted a few years ago after taking several months to learn about the faith. A Family's Reaction ldquo;My mom was like, lsquo;Okay, great, this is wonderful; what can I do?rdquo; Thompson says of her motherrsquo;s reaction. ldquo;And she went out and bought me like fifteen scarves. I mean, she was just amazing.rdquo; Although not everyone has been amazing, some of her family did have a difficult time understanding Thompsonrsquo;s decision. Her father and stepfather, in particular, began to take it hard once they realized ldquo;just how realrdquo; Thompsonrsquo;s conversion was. Most of her close friends were also supportive of her decision, although Thompson says she did have a few who thought she was crazy. Feminism And Islam ldquo;Irsquo;ve always been a really strong feminist, so when I say they thought I was crazy, thatrsquo;s what they meant,rdquo; Thompson says. ldquo;They have a very limited idea of what Islam is. It is the woman in the hijab and it is this woman in the veil thatrsquo;s being oppressed and thatrsquo;s sort of the image [they have].rdquo; The funny thing is, Thompson says, that she feels more liberated as a Muslim woman than she ever did as a Christian one. ldquo;I didnrsquo;t feel oppressed, but I didnrsquo;t necessarily feel liberated in Christianity,rdquo; she says. ldquo;I definitely feel more liberated, and more free, in Islam. The way that some women are treated in other countries is more cultural and itrsquo;s definitely not Islamic. In the Qurrsquo;an it says lsquo;men have this right and women have this rightrsquo; and itrsquo;s the same right.rdquo; The Beauty Of Islam Thompson says she was drawn to Islam because of what she calls the ldquo;peacefulnessrdquo; of the faith as well as the personal nature of Muslim religious practice. ldquo;It is a community religion but it is really focused on you and your relationship with God and you making your prayers every day and your intent being right every day,rdquo; Thompson says. ldquo;Only He knows what yoursquo;ve done.rdquo; Thompson says that, in many ways she feels shersquo;s the same person she was before the conversion. The big difference is that, instead of just saying shersquo;s putting her faith in God, as a Muslim Thompsonrsquo;s actually doing it.
