Converted British mom, daughter say they were guided by Allah

Converted British mom, daughter say they were guided by Allah

By Afkar Ali


DUBAI - An English girl from a rural town on the outskirts of London
began spontaneously to read Arabic after purchasing a chocolate bar
with Arabic text on the packaging from a neighbourhood supermarket.
The girl, now a Muslim, can recite the Shahada, the article of faith,
and was in Dubai with her mother.

The girl's parents were stunned when their daughter started to shout
"I'm a Muslim, I'm a Muslim" and demanded a copy of the Holy Quran.
They were further surprised to hear their daughter utter words they
could not understand. While her father did not accept what was
happening, the girl found support from her mother who got her a copy
of the Holy Quran and helped her take her chosen path in life.

The seven-year-old girl, Jamila, whose previous name was Georgia, and
her mother Sameera, whose previous name was Samantha, were introduced
to the public and the Press in Dubai during a lecture organised by the
Pakistan International Forum at the Desert Rose Hotel. The lecture was
on the duty of a Muslim to contribute to instilling faith and belief
in the hearts of new Muslims. The lecture was delivered by Dr
Mansour Malik, an Islamic scholar from London.

In the middle of the lecture, Dr Malik introduced the little girl and
her mother, both of whom have recently converted to Islam.

Speaking on behalf of the child, her mother told Khaleej Times that
they live in the UK in an area where there are no Muslims or Arabs to
influence her daughter or teach her to read Arabic or even know about
Islam.

"Islam in our mind was associated with violence and terrorism from
what we hear in the news and read in the papers," Sameera said. She
added that one day her daughter Jamila could read the Arabic text on a
chocolate bar that she bought from a supermarket in their
neighbourhood.

"Her father and I were shocked when we heard our daughter uttering
words that we could not understand," Sameera added. While Jamila's
father did not accept what was happening Sameera supported her
daughter and brought her a copy of the Holy Quran and encouraged her
to choose her path in life.

"One day our house was set on fire and everything we owned perished in
the flames except for the Holy Quran," Sameera said. This accident
convinced her to accept Islam as the guidance of her life. "Allah was
guiding me towards the right path of Islam through the miracle of my
daughter when she uttered the word Islam," Sameera said.

Speaking to the Press, Jamila said that she couldn't recall the words
that were written on the chocolate bar, but she can say the Shahada,
the article of faith, "There is no true god but God (Allah) and
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the messenger of God.".

She said that the main reason she came to Dubai is to see a Muslim
country where Muslims interact with people of other religions and to
see mosques and hear the Azzan (call for prayer).

Jamila said when they go back to the UK they would like to organise a
campaign to correct the misconceptions about Islam and spread Muslim
teachings among the non-Muslim residents in their neighbourhood.

Jamila pointed out that wearing the Hijab resulted in her being
ostracised by some of her family members and her friends and
schoolmates. "As I feel different now I also don't like to mingle with
my old friends and I prefer to meet Muslim friends to learn from them
the Islamic teachings," Jamila said. Sameera added: "Studying religion
has become a great joy for me and my daughter, other religions do not
offer the (same) depth and insight to the original source of my
belief.

"When I first read the Holy Quran it instilled in me a sense of
belonging. I began to study the Holy Quran this year with a deep
desire to know more. I know I have reached a source of truth that I
know will never desert me. I felt overjoyed and I was comforted by the
strength and belief of others who supported me and my daughter to
accept the faith in Allah."