Calling all Scandinavian / Japanese Reverts

[learnermuslim]

Asslaam Alaikum ALL,

I pray this message reaches you all in the best of Health, Spirits and Iman, Ameen.

As you can tell from the quite self expalnatory title, I would really like to get in touch with any and all Scandinavian (particularly Danish) and Japanese revert sisters and Brothers on this site. Of course, any revert sisters from a "whitey" and "my God is she a Muslim" background are welcome too, but stated the first due to my Angel (daughter) being a thrid Danish and Japanese and currently (sadly) living with her Mother in Copenhagen.

In this regard I would love to hear how sisters from such backgrounds found islam, dealt with the more sensitive aspects and live happy and fulfilling lives in their new found happiness and calm.

it would also be good to may be pratice my Danish/Japanese with sisters/brothers and especially for Scandinavia learn and keep abreast of social developments and concerns I should be aware of that my daughter might now and will be facing in the future. She is 10 years old by the way and mashAllah very cute, takes after her father of course

Anyway, hope above provides enough info for the right people and look forward to hearing from the countless danish and japanese reverts outthere.

Before I end, sorry if any of the above offended anyone, the "whitey" bit especially, but meant in the best possible way, as much as can be if you are a whitey, sorry, joking again.

Also, any revert sisters from anywhere who can share and advise to show my daugther the beauty of Islam through wisdom and kind words and fight the media propaganda and misconceptions are most welcome.

JazakAllah to all.

Fi amanAllah

 

[MubarekMuslimah]

Salaams

I am a 'whitey' lol...otherwise known as 'my god is she a muslim??' (cue open-eyed wonder..you'd think the hijab on my head would be a bit of a give-away!)

Im not 10 years old, though! Im 26, been muslim for 4 year alhamdulillah and will do my best to help you insha'allah. What are your main concerns for your daughter?

I think it is good to instill in her that she is a good example of the unity and diversity of muslims - how Islam if for everyone and anyone can be a muslim. Obviously because she is a child still dont want to make her feel too much like she stands out or is extra-special ( even though u know she is) but that she should be proud of who she is and what it means to be muslim alhamdulillah

salaams

 

[Abdul Hasib]

The main concerns for your duaghter that you should have sister is for her to wear a hijab. Second, it's BOYS. Make sure she wears loose clothing so no guy can disreaspect her in any way.

 

[UmmOf3]

Salaam aleikum

I am Norwegian, revert, came to islam 13 yrs ago. I know its a big comunity in Denmark though, from what I heard from my brother in law, who works there. (He is not a muslim, though).

 

[learnermuslim]

calling all Muslim revert sisters

Dear Sisters MubarekMuslimah & Ummof3 and Brother Abdul Hasib,

Assalaam Alaikum and JazakAllah for your helpful and encouraging posts.

I will reply to Brother Abdul Hasib first as the reply is very short and concise. Indeed Brother I will pray and do my best to convey the benefits of an Islamic dress code for my daughter so that her dignity, beauty are ensured. InshAllah I pray she will choose this way inspite of peer and society pressure, Ameen.

Sister Ummof3, are you speaking of Danish reverts or Asian immigrants? I would prefer the former and will try to get in contact with Abdul Waheed Peterson, firstly to enter the Danish revert circles and secondly to gauge if Mr. Peterson may be a good Sheikh for me, in addition to another Sheikh based in UK of Jamaican descent. Please pray all my efforts in this area prove successful. I know it is much to ask you to tell me how you came to islam, but would love to hear it if and when you have the time. I know A Norwegian parent (father, mother Danish) of one of my daughters friends (they have adopted an Indian girl) and find him very genial and curteous, may be I should be looking for Norwegian revert circles any good Muslim links you may have in Danish or even Norwegian would be most appreciated.


Sister MubarekMuslimah,

Apart from that fact that you are a whitey, okay, will stop with this silly joke.

I found your words of great comfort, encouragement (applies to above sister and brother too) and reassurance. In order to prevent a thesis and essay reply I will try to limit my response to relevant and top priority concerns.

Simply, I would like my daughter not to view Islam as something for brown, backward, suppressed people. I want her to see that Islam is for any intelligent, dignified, liberated, happy persons and it’s a universal thought rather than a geographical or cultural ball and chain. Based on my personal experiences and beliefs, I do find reverts more open, less judgemental and indeed further my own development.

In a very basic way, I think if my daughter saw and was around these intelligent, elegant, liberated and strong women she will definitely feel Islam is the way and not be influenced by her Mothers reactionary and due to my personal actions negative views of Islam.

Its this matter of where to find and in an Islamic way meet and exchange with Revert Sisters that’s my main issue, I was brought up in a conservative way and although myself moderate and evidently having done things not that conservative, don’t also want to hang round mosques and pounce on Sisters coming out, with either a questionnaire or ask them to be my friends or more. I am living in between two continents, starting my own business and looking for work, but my daughter and her acceptance of Islam are becoming my most important priorities. I suppose marrying a revert sister one day ,inshAllah is my main aim and the best way to solve all my problems, well most of them, but when this happens and how I cant wait for and thus want to at least speak to sisters and increase my knowledge and circle in the meantime.

Anyway, I could write more but am sure you have better things to do and inshAllah hope to carry on these exchanges.

JazakAllah Again and prayers for all of you from the heart.

Fi amanallah.

 

[virtualeye]

AssalaamuAlaikum,

I little bit from my side, (I am not a woman though).

One thing you need to put in her mind is that she is 'different'. She is special and believes in the superior and the only true ideology, thats right, its called ISLAAM. Make her feel special and be proud of it.

If she does so, then she will automatically be able to defy many negative things coming from other people, thinking that they dont know what she knows.

Just feel HIGH that you belive in Allah SWT. (well not that high which people get by drugs )


Wassalaam,
VE

 

[UmmOf3]

Salaam aleikum

I meant danish reverts His name is Abdul Waheed Pedersen not Peterson Might be easier to find him under the correct name. You can check www.islam.dk for danish site, and www.islam.no for the Norwegian site. They are not connected though, just share name

I am an admin on www.islam.no if you need any help, dont hesitate to ask. I also have a website for muslim women, www.muhajabah.org in Norwegian.

There is probably loads of other islamic sites in Danish, but I am not sure about them, and what site is good and who is not, if you see what I mean. I would not lead you to any dodgy sited hehe.

I might be able to dig up some emails to some danish muslim reverted men, I think somewhere I might have the email to A-W.Pedersen too, but I dont know.

 

[justoneofmillion]

am half Arab half german so in what category do i stand for you !!!!!!!!!!! although am a "born muslim" am ready to learn from anyone if they show to have more knowledge i know you are concerned for your daughter just try to teach her the basics of islam the behavior and the example of prophet muhammad pbuh these things are universal as far as the human being is mature enough to see them and stop please calling your selves converts you are muslims! alhamdulilahi am sure that you can get may be more help from "converts" on certain issues at the biggining and i hope you will inschallah but then you have to move on i don`t mean to judge anyone that`s neither my duty nor my right it`s in the hands of Allah swt and Allah alone am just concerned islam from the biggining was a multiracial and multiethnic religion there is no monopol no exclusivity for anyone in islam there is a great need for unity in islam these days and that`s what we should be striving for isn`t real freedom the one without borders?when i see all that happend throughout history for racial and ethnic reasons we should leave no room for such distinctions special designation words ans so on and raise our children in the spirit of universa brotherhood and sisterhood please don`t missunderstand me am just concerned.

 

[UmmOf3]

and stop please calling your selves converts you are muslims! alhamdulilahi am sure that you can get may be more help from "converts" on certain issues at the biggining and i hope you will inschallah but then you have to move on i don`t mean to judge anyone that`s neither my duty nor my right it`s in the hands of Allah swt and Allah alone am just concerned islam from the biggining was a multiracial and multiethnic religion

Salaam aleikum

I am a revert (I prefer that, over convert, since its the fitrah to be muslim), and normally, I just say I am a muslim. I dont care, I have friends from many nations. But as a support, and as a help and guide, I always (almost) turn to other reverts, or muslims who first were nonpractising, and then started practising again, or 2nd or 3rd generation imigrants. I almost never turn to born muslims who lived here in Norway few years. Its got nothing to do with being racist or thinking I am superior or whatever, its just easier to talk to people who knows "Where I am coming from".

Like 3 yrs ago, when I married another revert. Who supported me? Not the arabs, thats for sure. They all talked about how "its haram to marry a norwegian man" and "he is muslim because of you?" things... While other reverts, and some other born muslims, like somalis specially, supported me and said "MashaAllah, that is so nice". Some arabs said "Who is going to teach you islam now" and in masjid, they always try to learn me even the simplest things, just because "poor you, you dont have an arabic husband to teach you islam"... This is generally uneducated imigrants, though, not general for the arabic population here in Norway at all, alhamdulillah. I do not want to generalize either, but I had a lot of prejudice from Arabs, actually. Because I "left one of their people" and married "one of my own" when there are so many single arab brothers who need to marry for visa...

 

[justoneofmillion]

you have no idea how sad i am sometimes when i see the behavior of some of so called born muslims prophet muhammad pbuh said in one hadith that there would come a time where people from his ummah would callthemselves muslims but in reality they would be the fartest from it as a sign of dooms day approaching but i think especially these last years there is changing the new generation like you said of 3rd generation immigrants and the reverts is bringing a new fresh air and entuhsiasme with it and a will that their parents didn`t have.islam in some arabic countries has been infiltrated by so many traditions that you don`t even recognise it plus i think what we need to understand is that colonisation has had a deep impact producing generations that are half here half there if you want that`S why you hear words like moderate muslim hiphop muslim and such rubbish in other words hlf capitalist half muslim and i choose what`s convenient from both!! a generation that has lost the very essence of the message of islam by being raised up in societies that faill to teach them their glorious history teaching them only
what their autoritarian regimes supported by the "democratic" west benefit from .alienating themfrom their religion and it`s valiues:humility,being of what allah has giving you,hope,avoiding too much greed ,and foremost to feel the need to learn more about islam instead of constantly wanting to correct and teach others teaching .that`s why i guess you see some people asking to marry for visas and such nonsense in the past year a had 2 of them so i know what you are talking about i don `t understand we muslims that have grown up in the west would love to live in a muslim country and raise our children there and these people wanna come here.!!!! wassalamu aleikum dear sister

 

[virtualeye]

AsslaamuAlaikum,

The condition of Arabs is worse, that is why they are being beaten up all over the world. I have some arabs around me also. Most of them are horrible. When we happen to go from university to the dorm, they laugh so shamlessly in the bus that all people look at them like they are shocked for life. Some of them drink and most of them never ever come for prayers.



Wassalaam,
VE

Salaam aleikum

I am a revert (I prefer that, over convert, since its the fitrah to be muslim), and normally, I just say I am a muslim. I dont care, I have friends from many nations. But as a support, and as a help and guide, I always (almost) turn to other reverts, or muslims who first were nonpractising, and then started practising again, or 2nd or 3rd generation imigrants. I almost never turn to born muslims who lived here in Norway few years. Its got nothing to do with being racist or thinking I am superior or whatever, its just easier to talk to people who knows "Where I am coming from".

Like 3 yrs ago, when I married another revert. Who supported me? Not the arabs, thats for sure. They all talked about how "its haram to marry a norwegian man" and "he is muslim because of you?" things... While other reverts, and some other born muslims, like somalis specially, supported me and said "MashaAllah, that is so nice". Some arabs said "Who is going to teach you islam now" and in masjid, they always try to learn me even the simplest things, just because "poor you, you dont have an arabic husband to teach you islam"... This is generally uneducated imigrants, though, not general for the arabic population here in Norway at all, alhamdulillah. I do not want to generalize either, but I had a lot of prejudice from Arabs, actually. Because I "left one of their people" and married "one of my own" when there are so many single arab brothers who need to marry for visa...

 

[heartbeat]

to the danish borther.

One thing that islam teaches more than any other religion is to not function within a territorial entity, an ethnic standing or any other accessories, like color, language, shape.
The fact of seeing human beings beyond such consideration is a call for liberation, and a call for a very empowering strengh.
I expand that to talk about reverts or born muslims, whities or blackies, arabs or chinese.
the moment you pronouce your shahada, there isnt anything different between you and me nor between you and my somali neighbor.
Arabs are not saints. and so arent all born muslims. there is a very valuable currency by which i live. wherever i go from the shores of USA to the Deserts of Algeria, there was and there is and there will be bad muslims. does this learn me about islam and muslims? no, the inventor of dynamite did nt think of using it to kill people, does that mean the dynamite is bad? no it helps clear moutains to build roads, it helps shatter rocks for construction materials.
I am not an arab but i love arabs. those people how roam the deserts of egypte to the moutains of Yeman. when wars are triggered they are the ones to suffer, when sun burns they are the ones who suffer.yet we look into the behavior of few aristocrates dictators that the brits and the americans helped maitain wealth and power for their own interests.
I am not Somali or ethipian but today i prayed Janazah on an ethiopian muslim whom i never knew next to so many somalis and indians and pakistanis.
i am not an asian, but i feel comfortable going to a mosque to see bearded brothers so humble and so genuine that i get carried in their innocence.
No and i am not an american, nor a danish, but i have to say that i read and met some reverts who just made me think so much that i felt belittled, and felt ignorant and mostly guilty for so much courage, sincerity that they have proven.
Bilal.. from the Virginia....

 

[Amirah84]

One thing that islam teaches more than any other religion is to not function within a territorial entity, an ethnic standing or any other accessories, like color, language, shape.
The fact of seeing human beings beyond such consideration is a call for liberation, and a call for a very empowering strengh.
I expand that to talk about reverts or born muslims, whities or blackies, arabs or chinese.
the moment you pronouce your shahada, there isnt anything different between you and me nor between you and my somali neighbor.
Arabs are not saints. and so arent all born muslims. there is a very valuable currency by which i live. wherever i go from the shores of USA to the Deserts of Algeria, there was and there is and there will be bad muslims. does this learn me about islam and muslims? no, the inventor of dynamite did nt think of using it to kill people, does that mean the dynamite is bad? no it helps clear moutains to build roads, it helps shatter rocks for construction materials.
I am not an arab but i love arabs. those people how roam the deserts of egypte to the moutains of Yeman. when wars are triggered they are the ones to suffer, when sun burns they are the ones who suffer.yet we look into the behavior of few aristocrates dictators that the brits and the americans helped maitain wealth and power for their own interests.
I am not Somali or ethipian but today i prayed Janazah on an ethiopian muslim whom i never knew next to so many somalis and indians and pakistanis.
i am not an asian, but i feel comfortable going to a mosque to see bearded brothers so humble and so genuine that i get carried in their innocence.
No and i am not an american, nor a danish, but i have to say that i read and met some reverts who just made me think so much that i felt belittled, and felt ignorant and mostly guilty for so much courage, sincerity that they have proven.
Bilal.. from the Virginia....

:salam2:

MashaAllah well said brother. I absolutely agree with you. Our first identity is the fact that we are a Muslim. I can understand that as human beings we often finding comfort in those who can understand us and so may think that a particular group of muslims are "right" for me. However I can't agree with that. Because then you are excluding others and this may lead to friction.

Exampel: One of my closest friends and reverted swedish sister went to the masjid for eid, a masjid that many sisters from a particular part of the world visit. Sisters were hugging each other and this by walking down the row. As they came to my friend they skipped her and went on to the next sister that they identified with. My friend was awfully upset when she left and doesn't like to go there for eid. But then maybe my friend was not approachable or the sisters were uncomfortable... I don't know.

I myself don't distinguish between a revert sister or a muslim born sister. In fact both of them are very special in their own ways. One is not a better muslim because they're a revert, nor because they're an arab or somali. Nor because they know arabic fluently or even the Quraan by heart.
Sometimes we have a bad experience with a group of people so we brand them and say that those people are such and such. Islamically this is incorrect and I feel by doing this our brother/sisterhood becomes fragile.

Take care all,

 

[learnermuslim]

MashAllah, AlhamdolilAllah

Dear Brothers and Sisters who have replied since my last post.

I am heartened to see the level of debate and genuiness in our posts. I would have to say, and not taking easy way out, I agree with most, if not all you say.

Before I go on, Ummof3, JazakAllah for your sources and indeed that is exactly what I am looking for, recommended links, rather than a cut and paste of a google search. With so many sites around it is good to have some one vet them. I will definitely look at them and if you will allow, may be bother you from time to time for further help.

Brother Virtualeye, you are welcome and as my intial post said, am looking for Brothers and sisters, I need friends too :-( So any and all brothers welcome. InshAllah look forward to further posts from you.


As I said I mostly agree with all your posts, sister Amirah / Brother heartbeat that includes you and inshAllah I hope you will all pray for my Daughter's strength in her Deen and for an easy Duniya too.

One point I would like to cover here is this point about reverts and born Muslims. As all of you have said, sadly, borm Muslims, apart from arrogance and bring critical of everyone else but them, have no real understanding or appreciation of what they have been blessed with. I am amazed how many revert borthers and sisters stay Muslim after their meetings with born Muslims. I don't know if I would have. One example that sticks in my mind is when attending an Islamic conference the first thing I heard was that my name was wrong, I mean, instead of anything else, he could have said my tie was horrible, I was ugly, no he says my name was wrong, of course implying I was not a proper or real muslim. Well thankfully, it went in one ear and out the other, even through the wax .

It is very easy to criticise others and deflects attention away from you. Sadly traditional muslims have superiority complexes and God complexes, instead of the intended God Consciousness we are gifted.

But revert Sisters and Brothers, I know you are above all this and understood that the failings are personal, regional rather than religious. I just pray more people see that before being turned away by stick weilding, fire spitting self ordained saviours / upholders of Islam. We forget the love and peace Islam offers and the lucky few who do discover that have to spend the rest of their lives defending this against stupidity, arrogance and malice.

I am thankful I came across this site and more importantly sisters and brothers like you, may Allah shower you with his Choicest of Blessings and make this world and the hereafter the best for you, and me too , Ameen.

JazakAllahs and look forward to more exchanges, learning and fulfilment.

Fi amanAllah.

P.S. sorry for any spelling mistakes and lack of structure, wish could touch type and was more intelligent, both can be fixed of course, but takes time :-(

 

[learnermuslim]

Me again

Sorry one thing I wanted to add, Am the last to judge anyone and hate to generalise so do not mean all born Muslims, only the stupid ones hope moderators won't wrap my knuckles for that.

There is good and bad everywhere, may Allah just guide us to the good and protect us from the bad.