The Rise of the Female Convert

I came across an article highlighting the simple fact that there are more Muslim female converts than male. Being a woman and all, and knowing how the majority of ‘outsiders’ perceive Islam and its treatment for women, I was curious to know why. Why is it that more females would turn to Islam when almost everyone believes women are being ill-treated, victimised, disrespected and subjected to abuse and inequality? I know a lot of people who accept all the horrible stories they read or hear of the abuse Muslim women face.. ‘Forced to wear hijab’ ‘forced to stay at home and look after the family’ ‘no education, social life and freedom of speech’ ‘involuntary execution of a modest dress code’ and to be frank it’s all as far from the truth as it can get. I'd advise people to do some field research and speak to Muslim women. I can guarantee you a large amount will say they are happy to live certain lifestyles and do so in accordance with sharia’s rules which are not extremist, but somewhat logical.

Nonetheless female converts have the right tools so to speak for research. They have come to understand that Islam does not subjugate, oppress and disrespect women. As a matter of fact it gives importance to the role of the mother over the father, offers shares in inheritance for the daughter, provides greater financial security for a woman, allows the right to exercise freedom in matters of marriage etc.  There is so much that Islam offers a woman – the list is never-ending! That’s not to say Islam is a feminist religion.. it doesn’t need feminists! It offers both men and women almost equal rights. However a man’s responsibilities and mind-set I believe makes his going tougher.

I stumbled across a forum in which one man suggests that Islam offers women a different approach to things that are prevalent in British society. His wording may not have been politically correct but it seems he was right, as research conducted by Kevin Brice displays similar reasons for women wanting to get away from things like ‘sexual permissiveness and unconstrained consumerism’. Islam does offer a sense of protection and an identity that isn’t graded on your ‘sexiness’.

Of course there are obvious shortcomings for women who are born within a western culture. An example would be mosques that don’t facilitate for women. It should be noted that there are more now than there were in the past, but its critical to point out that personal interaction on a face to face basis would be ideal and welcoming to a new Muslim who is seeking guidance and comprehension in religion. A lack of facilities for women often means more and more are turning to the internet or culture as a source of understanding and implementing religion – here lays the problem! Culture making its way and replacing the real religious values will in the long term have negative consequences. I myself being a born Muslim tend to keep away from culture – Islam and its teachings are my priority! Needless to say then there are two things I have learnt from the growing number of female converts, ‘curiosity killed the cat’ but ‘satisfaction brought it back’.