IT HAPPENED TO ME: I CONVERTED TO ISLAM

WELCOME TO ISLAM
IT HAPPENED TO ME: I CONVERTED TO ISLAM
I grew up in a decidedly non-religious home. We never went to church, save for funerals and occasionally weddings. I knew who Jesus was, but I didn’t know any of the Bible stories.
I don’t remember feeling anything about religion at all, negative or positive. My parents never spoke of it. As I got older and started attending the weddings of friends, I would joke that I would be smoted (smited? I don’t even know) as soon as I entered the church. I felt uncomfortable being there.
When I met my fiancée, who is Muslim, I was at a point in my life where I felt disconnected from myself and that I perhaps needed something more. I wanted guidance, mostly, and a reason for why bad things kept happening in life.
It was my idea to convert to Islam. He never asked me to do so, but I knew I wanted to for a variety of reasons. I definitely wanted his parents to accept me, and it would be easier if I was Muslim. But mainly I did it because I needed to believe that someone, somewhere, was looking out for me.
I guess at this point I should tell you that I am a white girl from Canada.
I feel self-imposed guilt for this fact, because it is easy for me to look “non-Muslim.” I don’t experience the ignorance and bigotry that many Muslims unfortunately do. It shocks me how much vitriol is directed towards Muslims in Canada. The many misconceptions about the religion are spouted in the comments section of any news article about a person from the Middle East (even if they are not Muslim) and spread in email forwards.
Some of these email forwards come from my family, who I am sure mean well but don’t realize how offensive they are being by forwarding the lies. My mother was hesitant when I told her about my conversion. I think she was worried I was being forced into it. I have done my best to help my mother understand Islam during my conversion process, but she is agnostic and it has been hard for her to wrap her head around it. Luckily, her main concern is that I am happy.
I am pleasantly surprised when I do tell other people that I am Muslim. Most people think it is great and already know quite a lot about the religion itself, so they will ask me about if my eating habits changed and if I still drink alcohol. The answers are yes and no, respectively.
I became a vegetarian when I was 14, so I already didn't eat pork. I do eat chicken and fish now, but I am careful to eat only halal. Making that switch was easy, as halal meats are available at most large grocery stores nowadays. The reason I became a vegetarian was because I didn’t like the way animals were treated in traditional slaughterhouses, and I find that animals killed for halal meat are treated much more humanely and with more respect than their unfortunate non-halal friends. I still won’t eat beef, though.
Muslims are not allowed to drink alcohol and this worked out well for me because, frankly, I needed to stop. I was beyond happy to cut that out of my life — Alhamdulillah for Islam.

THE RELIGION OF PEACE AND ETERNAL SALVATION,IN THIS AND LIFE AFTER DEATH.

DO YOU INTEND TO GET ETERNAL SALVATION ??

COME TO ISLAM TO GAIN ETERNAL SUCCESS AND SALVATION IN THIS AND LIFE AFTER DEATH..WHOM ARE YOU WAITING FOR ,ISLAM CALLS YOU BACK .ARE YOU COMING BACK TO ISLAM,WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU ,DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.MAY ALLAH SHOW YOU THE RIGHT PATH,THE PATH TOWARDS PARADISE .AMEEN