I wouldn't expect anything more from those dumbass Texans anyway! It's not because they converted to islam that I am saying this, but just because converting to any religion to me is absurd.

By the way Saman, it seems that this weblog is turnign to a propaganda-for-islam blog from your part. Can't you just have your own blog and put this stuff there? I personally do not like this type of approach to life ... what religions have done for us is only to segragate people and we don't need to encourage that even more.

(at March 21, 2006 09:07 PM)

Dear pishik,

I'm as much a student as you are in UK, and I get as much right to post things like this as you get, please comment, I respect that, but run ur own business.

Regards (not)
Saman

(at March 21, 2006 10:53 PM)

pishik
I am a Texan, with a PhD in Education. Not your typical dumbass.

I would join the Muslim religion too if I could have an obedient wife shipped to me and she was good looking and could cook.

Lots of people in the USA convert to Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and maybe later back to their origional religion. Hey God created Buddhist too. The real story is that we can do that in a Democracy where we have religious freedom and we are not killed for it. Try being Islamic and converting from the "religion of peace" to something like Baptist. They will kill you.

(at March 22, 2006 08:51 AM)

Dear sipper,

for your information, the largest Jewish community in the middle east, outside Isreal, is in Iran. Something for you to think about, I went to school in Iran, had 3 christian classmates and I don't buy what you've said because its what you get on your mass media for free on a daily bases, do a bit of critical thinking mate.

SJF
B.A., M.A., MPhil/PhD (Ed.)

(at March 22, 2006 11:15 AM)

heh, we have to arrange a trip for them to visit an islamic country, to see how many of them would change their minds. I think sipper is right, being able to punish your wife for nor listening to you, and being able to sleep with women other than your wife in the name of "temporary marriage" (without going to court) is cool for some people.

No but seriously, bring those texan folks to Qom for an introductory session and then they would know that Islam is not just another hobby they can enjoy besides driving their Chevys in highways.

(at March 22, 2006 02:47 PM)

It was a very interesting film.

As an Iranian who's spent most of his life in Iran, parts of the film made me want to puke.

It had an interesting message though, for Texans who were converting to Islam, Christianity wasn't "conservative" enough. So they decided to convert.

And now I appreciate even more, the progressive and enlightening movements inside Iran by men and especially women who are ridding themselves of religion and its ridiculous backwarded variations. Even some religious students in Qom are more progressive than these Texan converts.

It was good to see this film anyway!

(at March 22, 2006 03:33 PM)

More and more Iranians are becoming secular, and on the other hand Islam has become the fastest growing religion in the US.

What does that tell you?

(at March 22, 2006 11:38 PM)

Dear Saman,

You are talking about people that are already Christian or Jewish not converts, big difference. My point is not that there are not other religions within Islamic countries, rather it is the doctrine that once you convert to Islam you are Muslim for life, you cannot convert back, lets say, to Baptist the dominate religion in Texas. No I am not Baptist.

I believe you (anyone) should worship as your heart tells you to, because God will still love you even if you are, as some may say, "religiously lost" for your entire life. God only judges your deeds and how you treat his children not how well you pray or in what language. Like I said God created Buddhists too.

I have been to Indonesia, the largest Islamic country in the world, and met many Muslims and was treated with much respect. I still talk with them to this day and I want to go back. There are many religions in Indonesia. Not far from where I was staying innocent Hindus were blown to pieces and three young Christian girls were beheaded by five Muslim men with machetes. Maybe I was just lucky. I see this anger as simply religious intolerance as an ancient religion struggles with a modern world where religious freedom is a growing belief.

There is no evidence that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S. except that someone said it, typical misinformation. Americans, not just Texans, often experiment with different religions, in the 60's Hinduism was influential thanks to the Beatles, in the 70's Buddhism was influential thanks to the Kung Fu television show. Now that the Muslim religion is in the news daily, the romance of the Arabian Religion is sure to draw people to Islam. Also, the possibility that the Quran may be, currently, selling better than the Bible (just a guess) is not necessarily evidence that there is a mass conversion to Islam.

People want to know what all of the violence is about and many Americans are intelligent enough to be informed before making a decision. And religion is just interesting. As we do more and more business with India and more Indians move to America, maybe in the next decade Americans will flock to Hinduism, who knows.

Sasan, (nice name) backs my point in her statement "Islam is not just another hobby they can enjoy besides driving their Chevys in highways." But religion in America can be like a hobby and why not. Must we be oppressed by our religion to be in touch with God?

In summary, you will not see in Iran, Saudi Arabia, or especially in Indonesia, a news report that some Muslims decided to convert to Christianity or vice versa and I am sure there are some Muslims that do convert to other religions. Again my point being that religious freedom is not tolerated in the Islamic culture, on the other hand is it a part of the doctrine of democracy and the American culture. Finally, it is an interesting documentary and I'm simply saying don't read so much into it. Sorry for the mini-novel. Peace.

(at March 23, 2006 04:49 AM)

Just a personal opinion: to me an ordinary woman who suddenly converts to Islam and starts covering head to toe or wearing a burqa following the command of her husband [1] is either very much in love [2] has a very submissive personality, and would probably 'enjoy' being submissive in bed, or [3] tolerates that situation until she gets her US residence. The case of that Moroccan woman who wasn't veiled despite her muslim background, but started wearing when she came to the US

(at March 23, 2006 04:34 PM)

and to me a person who changes religion as a hobby or depending on what is "a la mode" is either too bored with his life or has serious identity crisis. I can see if a person from a very strict religous family decides to rebel and break the rules. Or I can kind of see if some lost soul decided to redefine himself within an "exotic" religion. But experimenting different religions is a joke.
And I don't know how these "well informed" americans will feel when the time comes and they want to switch to the next "hot" religion (hinduism you said?) and their life will be treatened because they will be considered traitors by their fellow muslim brothers?!

(at March 23, 2006 06:26 PM)

http://turntoislam.com/new_muslim_media/new_muslim_videos/new_muslims_in_uk.html

(at March 26, 2006 11:38 PM)

Most of you people commenting don't know the situation of Muslims in the United States. I live in Atlanta Georgia, home to thousands of indigenous and immigrant Muslims. It is absurd to say a woman who covers herself is "submissive". The virgin Mary wore a veil, and for you to say a woman has to expose herself to be successful in life just shows the pathetic view of life you have. I know many Muslim converts... they convert because they study Islam straight from Islamic sources: Quran and Sunnah. They do not look at the cultural elements, for example the condition of women in modern Iran and Saudi Arabia. They look at the condition of women during the life of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him in Madinah. Women worked, were educated, held property, fought wars, questioned authority, and played an influential role in society whilst still maintaining their faith, modesty, and the maintenance of their families

(at March 26, 2006 11:44 PM)

and for the person that said Islam is just some fad and that Americans will go back to their original faith. I think you need a lesson on the history of Islam in the United States. A vast percentage of the slaves that were brought to the United States during the slave trade were Muslims. Abdn ar-Rahman Ibrahim Ibn Suri and 'Umar Ibn Said are two famous ones. In 1888, Alexander Russell Webb was one of the first Anglo-Americans to convert. In 1907, Muslim immigrants from Lithuania, Poland, and Russia found the first Muslim institute in NYC. The first mosque was built by European Muslims in Iowa in 1915. Then during the 1950's and 1960's African Americans who wanted to return to their roots started converting to Islam. First the Nation of Islam, but the majority of them have now joined orthodox Islam, and make up the largest ethnic group in the Muslim community. Then immigrants from Muslim countries began arriving from the 70-90's. and now many Caucasian Americans have started researching Islam and their has been upsurge in Causcasian converts.
and recently many Hispanics have converted to Islam creating Islamic hispanic institutions like Alianza Islamica and the Latino American Dawah Organization. Doesn't seem like a fad to me?

(at March 26, 2006 11:54 PM)