Oct
27
“But You Have to Tell them” « Ginny’s Thoughts & Things
Ginny on one of my pet hates about dealing with (some) born Muslims: those who think any convert can easily “make someone Muslim”, and expect us to start preaching Islam as soon as we convert even though they may never have done any such thing themselves, and have never been in the situation some of us are in. I touched on this in my White Privilege post back in May; I wrote that I had even had restaurant staff try to get me to marry one of their waitresses and “make her Muslim”, something they would never ask of someone from their own background.
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From the point of view of mudlims from birth it makes very good sense. A convert is obviously better placed to know exactly what arguments will persuade nonmuslims of the truth of islam.
The problem actually is the expectation that you just have to press some buttons (fig.) and he or she would convert. Once anyone really gets the idea that people are different from each other and the grounds on which people ‘convert’ are totally different, he won’t think that converts themselves would be able to do what he couldn’t.
PS: where did you get that widget in the comment form that looks up my last blog post?? nice. Omar´s last blog ..Karim El-Gawhary: Muslime sind immer die Täter
Assalamu alaikum. The odd thing is about this is, that for some reason people think that just because one is a revert/convert that because they were brought on, or impressed with this beautiful religion, that drew them, that others will follow suit, and take them more seriously to heart than a born/raised muslim.
And as much as we want to say this is not true, and deny it. It’s reality, and it’s what people act like, even though that’s not their intention. Whatever is, they just end up doing that.
I know if I were to approach someone and try to help them with their deen, they wouldn’t pay any attention, however, if a convert were to approach them with the exact same advice. They might actually listen, even though it would be better if they listened all around to everyone and not just “reverts”.
Allahu Alim.
Assalamu alaikum, @ibyisaliamom, I meant to address this when you brought it up on my own blog, and I just wanted to say that while I’ve heard of this before, I can’t say it applies to me. See… As a blind Muslim, a lot of the itme, though certainly not all of the time, I feel like I’m treated rather like an adult child, and a lot of the time I don’t feel like I’m being taken seriously. Though I’m not discounting what you’re saying, I’m sure it happens to others, although as I’m thinking about it I have had people say things like “you’re a better Muslim than me” or “you’re a better Muslim because you converted and you’re so lucky because you chose this religion whereas I was born into it”, forgetting that Allah guides who He wills. And even if you’re born Muslim at some point you have to make the conscious decision to continue to be a Muslim.
Anyway, you’ve brought up a persecptive I’ve not really thought of… And you’ve gotten me to thinking which isn’t a bad thing smile. Ginny ´s last blog ..In the US, Hope for Victims of Genital Mutilation | Newsweek Health | Newsweek.com
In theory, most white indigenous non-Muslims are more likely to listen to white British Muslims than ethnic Muslims. Successful salesmen sell the benefit rather than the product or service.
M Risbrook, my self included, most convert Muslims I know accepted Islam by the da’wa of “ethnic Muslims”. The fact is, it doesn’t matter WHO is giving the da’wah, but HOW the da’wah is given. Lastly, if such is true, it only shows the inherent racism, and “British” attitude towards “ethnic Muslims”. I actually overheard conversations on a London Bus while there, about how these “muzzys” are foolish blah blah blah..
It’s undeniable that the number of white British people who have converted to Islam over the past 30 years is miniscule. Some converts I have met described a rather closed shop mentality of the ethnic Muslim community in having little desire to convert white British people or even welcome them into mosques and Islamic activities. Many Islamic schools for children outside of London give instruction in languages such as Urdu or Bangla rather than English.
lol, I think you met the best Muslims no matter how nauseating and pathetic they seem. The worst ones are the Mujahiroun and HT invested ones who think da’wah can be done by spooking the hell out of people.
From experience, asking why another does not do da’wah is just an appreciation of the difficulties they found upon themselves with respect to relations between host nation and foreign cultures/faiths. It is an admission of failure to understand host nation.
Lets hope the same person was not selling alcohol in the restaurant that you had the encounter.
Bismillah alRahman alRahim, Salaam ‘alaikum,
I commented on sister Ginny’s post about this, essentially agreeing that I’ve experienced the same thing and that it can be burdensome.
Upon reflection, I think I shouldn’t feel that way. At the end of the day these Muslims, even if they misaprehend the reality of dawah to Westerners, are encouraging us to do something tremendous. And they somehow think us more capable than they. That’s a compliment and I should accept it with humility. Rather than be upset, I think going forward I’ll be polite and make dua that Allah rewards their intention.
The Muhajiroun aren’t engaging in da’wah — they’re engaging in terrorist strategy 101. Make ordinary Brits hate Muslims, so that the Muslims will be driven into their arms…
Well at least they want you to attempt dawah via the ReD BlinKing MaKe A MusliM BuTTon that all white converts keep handy to push when a dawah opp presents itself. As a “brown” convert, i have been pretty deemed useless in this arena sigh…
A question for the owner of this blog.
If the government imposed legislation that all British citizens must be Christians or find another country to live in, then where would you move to and why?
Fat chance of that — what proportion of Brits are actually practising Christians these days anyway?
I wonder if compulsory Christian-themed school assemblies have made Britons more atheistic? I’ve read similar suggestions that it’s hard to get many people interested in Shakespeare’s plays because they were bored to tears by them in school English lessons…