Chrystal found Islam (Lexington, KY)Growing up I could not understand some things that I was being taught in Sunday school.
My Mother is a Christian and my Dad is an Atheist. My mother would just tell me the same thing that the Sunday school teacher was saying. My Dad would tell me that I needed to find my own answers and told my Mom that if she was not going to help me by giving me an answer that I could understand instead of telling me the same thing without her to questioning the answer her own answers then I was not to go back to Sunday school. He also told me that I needed to do my own research and find the truth on my own. This was when I was 10.
At this time I would spend my summers with my grandparents. My Grand father was a Deacon and my Grand Mother was a Sunday school teacher. They would try to guide me but when I would question they too could not give me the answers.
Then when I was 16 I was in a world religion class in high school. There I began to learn about Islam and I could finally have my answers. I was so excited when I went home. But my mother was totally against it. And I was told that none of the garbage was to come into her home. At this time Dad was out of town and did not hear what she was telling me. So I would study in secret.
Less than a year after I graduated from high school I was told that I was to get married or get out of my parents home (by my Mother). I married and my husband was anti anything that was not Christian. So again I studied in secret.
After 5 years of an abusive relationship I asked for a divorce. I started college and began to openly study Islam. My Mother tried to set me down and tell me how wrong I was but my Dad has been there beside me still telling me that I needed to find my own way.
My Mother tells my Dad she does not know where her daughter went, telling him that we use to be so close, but in reality we were.
When I married my husband, a Iraqi Muslim, she told me that he would not be welcome in her home and did not come to the wedding, although my Dad did. Finally when I stood up to her and told her that if my entire family was not welcome in her home then none of us would come over (including my children from my first marriage). After a month my Dad called and said that she would allow for all of us to come over. I was not asking for them to love my husband (although my Dad already did) but to respect him as a person. It has been 4 years now and things are much better.
My Mother still does not respect my choosing Islam. Going so far as to telling my youngest son if he became a Muslim he did not love her any more. He came home to me in tears and I again had to put my foot down and tell her that if she spoke of religion with him again he would not be back. She has kept her word so far and my Dad keeps her in check.
I reverted 4 years ago and have never been happier. I learn something new everyday. I am now married to a wonderful Muslim man that treats me with love and respect. Why did it take me 11 years to do so? Looking back I can see that it was due to lack of support. Although my Dad supported me in any decision that I made I did not have support from anyone else. I did not know any Muslims nor did I know where our local Masjid was located. When I married my husband I finally had the support that I needed. I have some of the same friends that I had before I reverted and found new friends Muslim. There are not many reverts in my area so we try to get together at least 2 times a month. My husband jokes and tells me that we have the Ya Ya Muslim Sisterhood.
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