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Asalaamu Alaikum. My name is Sophie, I am english and I reverted to Islam in January 1997. The way I came to Islam is a little unusual, I wasn't introduced to it by anybody like most people are. I don't know how comprehensive this has to be, but I'll try my best. I am of a northern european catholic and protestant background, but my parents were not religious since they left the Quaker church in the early 1970's. My parents always encouraged me to be whatever I wanted to be and they'd support me in that, they gave me a name which did not have any religious connotations. When I was a child I always believed in God and God alone. Subhan'Allah all the other kids at school believed this too at the time. I suppose it was fitrah.
After this, I went through a phase of not really knowing what I believed, but I knew the truth was out there and I just had to find it. When I was 12, we studied Arab history in school, and it also covered Islam. Before this time, living in a very un-multi cultural kind of area, I had thought Islam was a religion that worshipped many Gods and believed all manner of other illogical things. The only muslims I had ever known were a brother and sister in primary school and their family was not really practicing. When I found out this wasn't true, that Islam was a monotheistic religion despite the negative things I had also heard, I knew I had to find out more. Boy did I study! I read every single book on Islam in my local library and my school library, a while later I also hooked up to the internet and read everything I found there. I became more and more convinced I had to convert. A month and five days after my fifteenth birthday I said Shahada in the Islamicity chat room, although it took me ahile to adjust, I am a fully practicing sister now, and am studying art, english and maths at school. I also have many 'real life' muslims friends now. I am hoping inshallah to one day get married to a good brother.
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