Changing my religion
A British strand of Islam is emerging as more people become converts
MUSLIM converts have an image problem. A handful, like Richard Dart, a Dorset native jailed last month, have been implicated in terrorism. Samantha Lewthwaite, who was married to Germaine Lindsay, one of the 7/7 bombers and himself a convert, is wanted by Kenyan police in connection with an alleged bomb plot.
Even without the taint of extremism, women are sometimes pitied for joining a religion accused of oppressing them. Despite these concerns, converts, for the most part peaceable, propel Islam’s transition from an immigrant religion to a home-grown one.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline "Changing my religion"
From the May 18th 2013 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Britain
What police commissioners tell you about the British election
Neither Labour landslide nor hung Parliament
Antisemitism is on the rise in Britain
But university encampments show how hard it is to define
Spies, trade and tech: China’s relationship with Britain
China was once seen as a golden opportunity. It is increasingly viewed as a threat