In today’s Los Angeles Times, an article appears entitled Muslim Converts in Britain Seen as Among Most Extreme. The article describes the handful of around 50,000 British converts who have been accused of acts associated with terrorism. As one person interviewed for the article explained, “A lot of youth … have had a kind of intellectual revolution. And with the world events, they’ve decided to get a fervor in themselves. We call it hamas. This excitement can come to a new convert, or someone who’s turning away from the old, traditional Islam. What we find is that extremists have used this enthusiasm to try and teach them their erroneous ideas. And these individuals, who have a quest for knowledge, and an excitement, they’re susceptible to it.”
I do not disagree with that explanation, but I believe that elaboration is required. Whether in Britain or America, a convert is seen by many “born Muslims” as a validation of their beliefs. And these well-meaning Muslims are curious about why someone would choose to seemingly abandon their previous life and accept Islam. A convert is constantly being held up as an example of Islam’s “victory.” While at first this added attention is nice, it also puts an intense pressure upon a new Muslim. In almost every initial conversation I have upon meeting another Muslim, they ask, “what made you convert?†Or even sometimes, they ask, “how are you Muslim?†This curiosity is well intentioned and innocent, but the consequence of consistently having to answer these questions can be more serious.
Having to constantly explain “one’s journey to Islam” and being held up as an “example,” subconsciously reinforces the notion of a convert’s “otherness.” A convert, then, may feel that they have to prove their “Muslimness” by becoming the “best Muslim” in order to be accepted as “normal.” This may lead to a desire to be more conservative or even extreme in actions and beliefs.
Moreover, in addition to the feeling of “differentness” from the wider Muslim community, a convert also feels alienated and different from the rest of mainstream society. This isolation from within the Muslim community and from broader society, leads to a vulnerability that extremists feed upon.
The article also highlights the positive aspects converts can contribute to the Muslim community. Tim Winter, a convert and popular academic in Britain, explained that there “is the potential for Western converts to inject new intellectual blood into the faith, not only expanding the reach of Islam, but transforming it.†Converts approach Islam usually from a fresh viewpoint without the intense cultural baggage of 2nd-generation immigrant Muslims.
Much like Christian converts of the past, converts to Islam experience a complex evolution in their identity construction. First, there is a “destabilization of the self,” then there are social and personal crises of identity, in which the convert must deal with, among other things, the “relationship between conversion and treason.†And, finally, there is a ‘”re-stabilization of the self.” This process may take years to complete, if ever. And the outcome of the process may be determined by whether converts “emphasize more the process (evolution) or the instant (turning point) of the conversion†and “depending or whether they focus more on the intellectual, emotional, or pragmatic dimensions of conversion.†[1]
This process, like all identity construction, is dynamic and evolving. But what are some ways that other Muslims can positively effect the outcome? One way is for other Muslims to stop asking The Question (“what made you convert?â€). I’ve been asked so many times that I’m thinking of writing a short pamphlet that I can just simply hand out when asked in order to avoid answering it on almost a daily basis. This might actually be a better idea than I give it credit—expressing on paper one’s “journey” may also help a person deal with some of the complex and sometimes painful issues converts face. It may also serve as a way for friends and family to catch warning signs of possible extremist vulnerability (such as a concentration on political side of conversion).
Another way of preventing extremism among converts is to provide them with varying interpretations and allow them to choose which they find most convincing. For example, since converting, I continue to rely on the opinions of three different Muslim friends. Their views and answers differ which has allowed me to see the flexibility of Islam rather than the rigid interpretations of extremists. These are only a couple of suggestions for a topic that deserves more attention and time.
[1]Leone, Massiomo. Religious Conversion and Identity: the semiotic analysis of texts (NY: Routledge, 2004).
