EVER since 9/11, Islam has received worldwide attention. However the coverage it is given in the media is far too often provided by biased and misinformed journalists. Yet, despite of all tht is being said about Muslims, people from all nationalities and all walks of life are searching for the truth. Disappointed, frustrated and unfulfilled by a materialistic life orbiting around futile and erroneous consumer’s diktats, a new generation is looking for an alternative way of life. Many find it by converting to Islam since Islam, many feel, represents the human being’s natural disposition of worshipping one God.
Na’ima Robert, a 27 year old British woman convert to Islam, has written “From My Sisters’ Lips” - a book many would like to have written but didn’t. It definitely fills a gap and shows what Islam brings to a western educated woman. This insider’s view of Muslim women living in a western country dispels the stereotypes written about by the press; it invites the reader to discover the strength and beauty of Muslim womanhood.
Na’ima confesses that she was the last person anyone would have expected to become a Muslim. She came from a non-religious background; she was young, living a fun-filled life. And when Islam came along and turned her life upside down, she realized that she would no longer feel at peace with herself if she turned away from Islam because Islam was the truth. She embraced Islam.
She tells us that the stories of Western women accepting Islam go against many people’s views that the Western way of life and beliefs are far superior to anything that Islam has to offer. “Secretly, they wonder what on earth would make a woman swap her Western freedoms for, as they see it, a life of submission and restriction. The sheer diversity of the backgrounds and life experiences that characterizes the sisters in this book show that Islam can speak to anyone. They were arch feminists, African nationalists, underground anarchists, music moguls, rock rebels, disco queens, devoted church-goers, designers, athletes, models, singers, career girls, students, cultural Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and atheists, from every racial background and of all ages. And most unexpectedly Islam was able to reach out to each one of them, giving them the answers they were looking for and changing their lives forever.”
She points out that when women from Muslim backgrounds living in the West came back to the religion of their birth, they always expressed their desire for an Islam free from cultural interpretations and deviations. Certain traditions led to forced marriages, honor killings and female genital mutilation which are always incorrectly attributed to Islam.
One of the main reasons which lie behind most female conversions to Islam in the West is the deep moral dissatisfaction with the consumer society and the craving for something fulfilling and meaningful. Many women acknowledge that Islam liberated them from not knowing the purpose of their existence.
The Muslim lifestyle which attracts new converts also sets them apart. Wearing the hijab, moral self discipline through prayer and fasting as well as closing the door to temptation goes against what today’s consumer societies stand for.
In a society obsessed with appearance, women are pressured to be beautiful, thin, wealthy, fun-loving or talented. Women are also influenced by so-called celebrities: watching their films, following their interviews, buying what they are wearing and wanting to imitate their lifestyles. “They may be a waste of space, but at least they beautify that space! And on this scale, the Muslim cannot compete, no matter how intelligent, talented, kind, generous or honest she is, she doesn’t ‘look the part’ and that is something she will not be forgiven for,” says Robert.
The author writes extensively on the Islamic covering of the body. She admits that the hijab, and especially the niqab, can provoke extremely virulent reactions from non-Muslims in Western countries. She also remarks that many people feel that the hijab deprives the woman of her femininity but the women who wear the hijab feel beautiful in the eyes of Allah. “The hijab means many things to us: it is our covering, our reminder, our comforter, our shield, our liberator, a symbol of our servitude to our Lord. It is not an unwelcome burden, it is not an aberration, it is a fundamental part of our identity as Muslim women,” explains Robert.
This deep but joyous feeling of being different is what brings Muslim women or sisters in faith to spend time together. They enjoy their mutual company because they can practice their faith without being mocked, insulted or marginalized.
“From My Sisters’ Lips” is foremost a celebration of sisterhood, courage, warmth and friendship. The author describes the extraordinary Muslim women she has met since her conversion to Islam. In the book, these women or sisters in faith talk about the challenges of being a Muslim convert, the problems of covering in the west and about love, marriage, family and sisterhood: “Islamic sisterhood is special. It transcends color, it transcends class, it transcends all manner of worldly things, it is close, it is warm, it is tender and strong. It is unlike any other because it is based on the most solid of foundations: the love of Allah,” concludes Na’ima Robert.
