Leaving and Loving Islam

 

There are claims that for every male who converts to Islam, there are four women who convert into Islam in Europe. 

 

The Convert’s travel to Islam
Sara Joseph, 36, was born a Catholic in the UK and had always dreamed of becoming a nun.   Her brother converted to Islam when he married and she believed that he had "sold himself to the devil".

Reflecting on her prejudice she began to research the faith and converted to Islam at the age of 16.

As the editor of England's only Muslim magazine, Emel, Mrs Joseph was drawn to the faith by the "simplicity, the belief in one god and the wholeness of the Quran."

She is among many who convert to what is claimed to be the fastest growing religion in the world.

 

 

The Ex Muslim's journey out of Islam

Born in Tehran Iran, Maryam Namzie was brought up in a liberal Muslim home. But as she grew older, she became more active in fighting against the Iran's Islamic 'regime'. She began to renounce Islam and all religions.

Maryam Namazie is the British spokesperson for the Council of Ex-Muslims.  According to Ms Namazie, an ex-Muslim is a person who has left Islam and has renounced all religion.

Namazie said: "People need to be comfortable with their beliefs and they need to justify it."

 

Answering the question of Modern Humanity

Most would think these women don't have much in common, but both are very critical of the way religion is used to validate abuse against women.

Mrs Joseph said: "It annoys me that people use Islam to subjugate women and that women equally participate, the idea of the man and wife are the garments of one another. Some women would choose to become the doormat."

"How can something from the medieval times be liberating for a 21st century woman? There are some Muslim women who consider themselves liberated but that has nothing to do with Islam, it has got to do with progressive social movements," said Ms Namazie.

Sarah Joseph believes that though some of the practices are antiquated, Islamic laws by nature absorbs legal strategies and evolves. But at this time, it has yet to answer the "modern questions of humanity."

 

Questioning Conversion to Islam
Ms Namazie questions the authenticity of the number of converts to Islam, and claims there are quite a number of Muslims leaving the faith. 

"You can play with statistics any way you want, if you look at the people who come to us, they tell people they are Muslims but they are not because they are scared."