My Journey of Reversion from Christianity to Islam.

Authored by Aminah G.

September 11th was one of the most tragic days in history, and it coincided with a deeply personal milestone—I had just given birth to my daughter a month earlier, one of the happiest moments of my life. That day began like any other; I was heading to lower Manhattan for a shopping trip, excited and carefree.

I was at a department store called Strawberry, about to head home, when I noticed a large crowd gathered, staring up at the sky. I followed their gaze and saw smoke pouring from the North Tower. Panic erupted around me—people were screaming and crying, and I could hear the distant wail of fire truck sirens growing louder. Moments later, the South Tower was struck, and the loudest boom I’ve ever heard shook the ground beneath me.

Then came a sound I will never forget—the sickening thud of bodies hitting the ground. That noise still haunts me to this day. Suddenly, a massive cloud of dust began to swirl towards me, and instinct kicked in; I started running. I was engulfed in dust, and it was so thick I couldn’t see a thing. The world around me turned pitch black, filled only with the frantic screams of those around me.

In that moment, all I could think about was my family. Just when I felt completely lost, a police officer appeared and directed us to safety. He told us we had to walk home—everything was shut down, and we needed to make our way across the Brooklyn Bridge. It took me about five hours to get home, though it felt like eight. Through it all, my family remained my only focus.

After 9/11, I struggled with negative feelings towards Islam, influenced by news portrayals that depicted Muslims as evil. At that time in my life, I was a baptized Catholic, having gone through first communion and Sunday school. However, I never felt truly comfortable in church; something within me yearned to find God. I stopped attending Catholic services and began exploring various Christian denominations, including Pentecostal, Baptist, and Mormon churches, but none felt like the right fit for me.

When I moved from New York City to Schenectady, NY, I noticed a building across the street and wondered if it was a church. I heard unfamiliar words through speakers and thought, “That isn’t English; are they singing?” At that time, my understanding of Islam was limited to what I had seen on TV and the events of 9/11, which left me fearful of the mosque nearby, especially when I heard the Adhan for prayer times. I naively thought they might be calling for violence.

Adjacent to the mosque, there was a McDonald's where I encountered women in headscarves distributing pamphlets about Islam. They urged me not to believe everything I saw in the news, emphasizing that Islam is a religion of peace. Initially, I was skeptical, remembering the narrative surrounding 9/11. One of the women invited me to visit the mosque. I hesitated, fearing for my safety, but she persisted, and I eventually agreed.

She began to explain the core beliefs of Islam: the worship of one God, the belief in all prophets, and the idea that God does not have a son. This confounded me, as Christianity teaches about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I had always believed that God could not have a son, as that would imply humanity. After our conversation, she gave me a Quran, encouraging me to read it with an open heart.

A few days later, I began reading the Quran, and it resonated with me profoundly. I felt as though I had discovered the truth I had been searching for. The religion I initially despised turned out to be what I had been seeking all my life. The individuals portrayed negatively in the media were, in fact, some of the most loving people I had ever met.

I was invited back to the mosque and began to develop a deep appreciation for Islam. Ultimately, I found peace in my soul, and in 2011, I officially embraced Islam. I, a girl from a Latino background in Brooklyn, NY, became a Muslimah, Alhamdulillah. I hope my journey inspires others to seek out the truth.