Michael Young?One good friend of mine, a brother in Islam who is also African American, told me a quote from someone who's name escapes me now: he said something along the lines of "Many people convert to Islam, in spite of the Muslims".
I don't know if it's the same, but:
Based on my personal experience, my advice either to new Muslims or anyone considering the possibility of accepting Islam would be simply to judge a religion not by its adherents, many of whom may fall far short of the ideal in a variety of ways (and I include myself in that!), but rather by the theology and teachings of the religion itself. To be honest, I remain in Islam very much in spite of and not because of my experiences with Muslims
I remember this because the user named Frank posted this and it kind of stung when I first read it. The entire thing here if you're interested:
Frustrations of a Muslim Convert
I honestly don't understand what it means, since all born muslims are always so thrilled to hear of anyone embracing islam, for no other reason but the joy that alhamdulillah someone has been saved, so why "in spite of the Muslims?"
I would recommend reading the article I linked to. Obviously there are many other issues, but it is a good start
As a born Muslim raised in the US I can easily shrug off many things I see as debatable/unimportant and not feel as though I am betraying my faith, even if that means ignoring my fellow "Muslims". For a new convert, that's not something they can do. They are naturally more impressionable and need time to find their "comfort zone" where they can stand their ground and decide for themselves what is truly important/correct or not.
What I have often seen is new converts just getting overwhelmed with things that are nowhere near the core of what Islam is about, which only ends up confusing them or making them annoyed to the point of giving up. So yes, it is pretty amazing that Islam appeals to so many people and continues to grow in spite of (but often well meaning) Muslims.